


Rock Bottom

by l_1Z4RD



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Hurt, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 102,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25646173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/l_1Z4RD/pseuds/l_1Z4RD
Summary: ‘I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.’ Obi-Wan couldn’t remember how often he had repeated these words in his life. They always brought him some comfort, but right now he felt utterly alone. All his life he had tried to fulfill the expectations of others.Still it didn't seem to be enough, as the universe kept tearing him apart and made him question his faith.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze
Comments: 90
Kudos: 220





	1. Headfirst

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first story I've written. You must know, English is not my mother language, so sorry for mistakes I made! Have fun reading and see the end for further notices!

**Chapter 1: Headfirst**

Over all these years he was asking himself where he turned wrong. What did he do to unleash this anger from the man in front of him? How could the boy, always sporting a bright smile, from Tatooine turn into a man who hated him so deeply? All his life he had tried to fulfill the expectations of others. Starting with his own padawan days under Master Jinns' guidance and going on with his knighthood. Still it felt like he was running headfirst into a wall when it came to Anakin. Why wasn't he never good enough for him?

"See? You don´t even care! All you do is lecturing me, you never approve of the things I do! I could have saved these people, but now it´s too late, because they´re kriffing dead!", Anakin shouted at him.

"Anakin, you know-".

"Oh don´t say that again-", Anakins’ voice was hoarse now from shouting the whole conversation, " don´t say you care, because I know you don´t. Do you even have a heart or is that jedi-facade of yours all you have? You´re a disgrace to Qui-Gons’ teachings. I wish you wouldn't be here but him."

There it was. The words he always feared but had known that they were always deeply anchored inside Anakins’ head since the day his master left them. But he was right. He was no Qui-Gon Jinn, and never will be.

The last few words were nearly spat at him and Obi-Wan felt himself at a loss of words. Anakin knew he had hit a tender spot of his master, but he didn´t care, his boiled-up anger was flowing free and right towards his now dumbfounded master.   
At first Obi-Wan wanted to respond but by the mentioning of Qui-Gon his mouth snapped shut.

Some people say the eyes are the portals to ones soul and they portray ones emotions even if the person tries to suppress it. Obi-Wans´ eyes turned from blue to steel-grey glinted with a flash of fear, despair, anger and sadness. 

"I´m sorry you had to go through this, Qui-Gon would have done better."   
Without saying another word Obi-Wan turned and walked away through the large corridors of the jedi temple.

Anakin huffed. "Just walk away...as you always do." 

_A few days prior_

"Anakin, wait!", Obi-Wan shouted while trying to keep up with his friends` fast pace.

"Kriff, master, these people are dying, we can´t just leave them", Anakin stopped and turned towards his master, anger flashing through his eyes.

"I know, but you heard the council, we´re needed elsewhere."   
His hands tightening into fists, Anakin looked into the distance, where the smoke of the battles were still visible. It had been weeks since they were dispatched to this forsaken planet. And as to undermine their bad situation, it kept on raining and storming. The ground had turned into deep mud which threatened to tear the men to the ground if they didn't watch their step.

After their last battle Anakin had left the campside, ignoring the heavy rain that was pouring down on him. Catching on his friends emotions, Obi-Wan had followed him.

Which resulted in the situation at hand, both men standing in the rain, already drenched to the bone.

"But the council is wrong, don´t you care about this people? We could save them."   
Obi-Wan contemplated about Anakins´ words and let out a sigh.

"Anakin, I know you want to save everyone, but sometimes you have to realize that it´s not possible to do so. You know well enough, that if I could save them, I would have done so already."

"We didn´t even try! If you wouldn´t have stopped me I would have succeeded in taking down this group of pirates!"

"Anakin, you could have been killed, we lost a huge amount of men in the last battle, we`re in no position to do anything! Did you really think one person, jedi or not, can fare up against fifty heavily armed pirates?!"

"As if you care! You just obey the councils` orders and don´t care about the people around you!" "Anakin, where is that coming from? You know I care about you", Obi-Wan said in a low and steady voice while eyeing his friend carefully. 

Anakin snorted, "As you did when my mother died? You never let me see her until then. And even after her death you didn´t seem to care. So don´t make me believe you give a kriff about these people, when you´re as emotionally cold as a rock."   
With that Anakin retreated back to the camp.   
Obi-Wan flinched a little at these words and looked to the muddy ground. Looking up at his former apprentices` retreating form, he muttered to himself: "I´m sorry I failed you, Anakin."

Truth to be told he hadn't known about Anakins' mother until the events on Geonosis because when he had been on Tatooine with Qui-Gon, he had stayed behind on the ship. And as Anakin never confided in him about his nightmares later on, he stopped asking after some time, trying to give the boy space. Obi-Wan knew he failed as a mentor and father-figure at this point but somehow, he just couldn't reach Anakin and felt like he was pushing him further away the more he tried. When Padme stepped into his padawans' life, Anakin seemed to brighten up. He was smiling more often. So, Obi-Wan turned a blind eye, lied in front of the council, protecting the only thing that made Anakin happy. It saddened him that Anakin thought that he would choose the council over his best friend and brother. But as long as Anakin was happy, Obi-Wan would have his back even if his friend was pushing him away.

_A few weeks later_

Ahsoka parried the aggressive swing that was aimed at her head. The force radiated around her, mixed with waves of anger coming from her master. She knew something was off, having noticed Anakins´ strange behavior. Normally Master Kenobi was the calming part of their trio but she hadn’t seen him for weeks, neither seemed Anakin to care about that fact.

"Master- can we-", she managed to get out between the blows, "please take a break?"  
Anakin looked her in the eye and huffed.   
"Fine", he said, turning his lightsaber off. Ahsoka contemplated for a moment if she should bring up the topic of her grandmasters´ absence.   
"Master, have you seen Master Obi-Wan lately? I think it´s strange that-"  
She never finished, because Anakin interrupted her with a thundering voice.

"Why do you care? He´s a kriffing marionette to the council and it doesn´t seem to bother him. He´s nothing better than a cold droid."   
Ahsoka had never heard her master talking like that about Master Kenobi.

"Master, what happened?"

"You want to know what happened? He let innocents die because of a kriffing order by the council", Anakin hissed and stormed off.   
Something told Ahsoka that that wasn´t the whole truth knowing her grandmaster.  
It hurt hearing such things from her master, especially because she knew that Anakin saw Obi-Wan as a father figure. But lately all he had left for him were words filled with hate and anger.

"I guess I have to find out on my own", she muttered to herself and left the training halls.

_Two weeks ago_

They had the element of surprise when they advanced on the Invisible Hand. The Negotiator kept the ship from escaping their clutches again while Obi-Wan himself, together with a few men from the 212th, infiltrated the cruiser from the inside.   
Getting on the ship was rather easy, getting off would be the fun part, the general mused. The droids still didn't know of their presence so they had to act fast if they wanted to succeed. He turned towards his commander.   
“Cody, gather your men and set the bombs in the machine room.”

“Yes Sir, but what about you?”

The ginger-haired man mustered the clone he trusted so much. He smirked.   
“Someone has to keep the good general occupied.”

Even with the helmet on Obi-Wan could tell that Cody was frowning. A flash of concern passed through the force. “General, let me come with you, please.”

“No Cody, the men need you and I don't want you near him.”

“You're going to need someone to have your back.”

‘Yes, Anakin should be by my side', Obi-Wan thought sadly. He tried to release his feelings into the force but still the heaviness clung to his heart.

“Please, Cody. I have to do this on my own.”

Cody sighed:” Very well sir, but stay safe. I would hate to tell your friends that you died on my watch.” With that he took off towards the machine room together with the men, leaving Obi-Wan behind in their hiding spot.

Some small part inside of him still dwelled on the commanders' last words, ‘As if anyone would miss me'. He shook his head. “No time for such things", he muttered to himself and made his way to the bridge. The ship was shaking rather violently as the Negotiator continued the attack to cover up their advance.

He was half way there when the alarm went off. They had been spotted then. Obi-Wan centered himself and took out his lightsaber. He had to buy his men time. Taking off in a sprint, the jedi ran through the corridors all the while cutting down the battle droids who happened to step in his way. He moved in a blur, pivoting himself through the waves of enemies. Just as he suspected, they changed their focus from the clones to him. ‘Good', Obi-Wan sank deeper into his dance with life and death. The corridors soon were filled with scrap metal which laid scattered around the jedi master. His blood was pounding in his ears and exhaustion started to settle in, the droids seemed to have stopped their advance on him. ‘Finally', Obi-Wan turned around, fletched his teeth and snarled with an evil grin: “Hello there, General.”

“Kenobi.” A tinny voice growled, followed by a cough. Grievous was known to have killed several jedi before and Obi-Wan knew from experience that he was no opponent to mess with.

He didn't need to wait long for the attack. Grievous pulled out four lightsabers and jumped at Obi-Wan with incredible speed and strength. Despite being the master of Soresu, he had a hard time to block the rain of blows that came down on him. He relayed on the force to give him strength.

They danced around each other. Grievous used the walls to launch himself at Obi-Wan from different directions. He was at an advantage in the rather small corridor.

Still Obi-Wan held his ground. As Grievous jumped at him from above, the jedi used his momentum to slide underneath the droid general and chop off one of the chest armor pieces. Grievous kicked out at him, trying to connect with the mans' head. Obi-Wan ducked under the claw and force pushed the general into the wall. With a resounding crack the general crashed into the wall, but Grievous got on his feet again and glowered at Kenobi.

“Playing dirty, are we? Let's see how long you can keep up.” He cracked a laugh and attacked again. One of his lightsabers slipped through Obi-Wans’ defense and caught him square on his chest. Obi-Wan winced and backed off. He was lucky, it was just a minor burn. Still it hindered his movement.

“You're getting tired, jedi.” Grievous growled.

Kenobi recomposed himself and changed tactics. ‘Time to play on the offensive'. “I didn't know you were that much of a talker, Grievous. Should I bring tea next time?”

He attacked with a series of blows. Obi-Wan caught the droid general by surprise which earned him a small amount of leverage over their fight. Swinging his lightsaber in an arc he hit Grievous where he chopped of one the chest pieces before. Small sparks where emitting from the damaged piece, but it Grievous didn't seem to bother much. He was only getting more aggressive. They kept going like this until Grievous changed tactics.

Thwack. The jedi barely had time to catch the incoming two blades with his own. His joints and muscles were screaming from the strain. Obi-Wan gritted his teeth and tried to keep the two sabers at bay.

Grievous chuckled at the sight of the struggling jedi. “This is the end, Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan realized his mistake to late. Grievous swung the third lightsaber at his legs which forced him to jump backwards out of the saberlock. He didn't have the time to avoid the fourth. Pain erupted on the left side of his head. He dropped his lightsaber and crumbled to the floor. His fingers found their way to the open wound on his head. The lightsabers' heat wasn't enough to cauterize it. There was a loud ringing noise in his head and he realized he was missing something. He stared at the little bloodied flesh piece in front of him on the floor. His ear. Grievous had severed his ear. Black dots started to obscure his vision and he couldn't make out the noises around him.

A metal claw connected with his chest, pinning him to the floor. He felt something break as Grievous leaned down on him. He couldn't breath. Blood started to fill his mouth. ‘So this is how I die'. Obi-Wan tried to force push Grievous away from him but to no avail.

Grievous laughed and pulled his foot away. “I will crush you, like your jedi fellow crushed me.”

This time the claw didn't come down on his torso again. It came crushing down on his right knee. He felt the bone shatter to pieces. Obi-Wan tried to scream but only managed a weak gurgling sound. In a last attempt he tried to reach for his fallen lightsaber.

He was rewarded with another crushed limb. Obi-Wan laid heaving on the floor, the puddle of blood around him grew steadily bigger and tinted his robes in a dark red color.

Merciful darkness swept him away.


	2. Impact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who left kudos or a comment! Anyway here's the next chapter. Have fun reading :D

**Chapter 2: Impact**

“..eneral? ..an you … me?” His head rang, there was a slow but steady beeping noise in the background. Hearing was difficult, everything sounded muddled. Obi-Wan tried to open his eyes and regretted it instantly when he was met with blinding white light. A figure was leaning over him. As he slowly came to, he realized how much he hurt. His body felt like he was on fire. The voice interrupted him again. It was still rather hard to make out the words.

“General Kenobi, can you hear me?”

He recognized that voice and force signature. “Helix?”, he croaked with a raspy voice.

“Yes sir, it's me. Do you remember what happened?”, the clone asked.

Obi-Wan remembered the fight with the good general in detail. Still he couldn't pinpoint how he got off the ship. “I do, but how did I get off? The last thing I remember was that I passed out.” The jedi only now took in his surroundings. He was laying on a bed in the med bay of the Negotiator.

“Cody and the men had set the bombs and managed to get you out before Grievous could kill you. I'm afraid to say that he escaped the detonation of the Invisible Hand. We've been in hyperspace for almost a week. You've been in a coma since then. Until now I wasn't sure you'd wake up. It didn't… look good. To put it mildly.” Helix was on edge, he could sense that, even in his state of mind. ‘I don't remember him ever being that worried.’ And they'd been in a lot of battles over the years.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes for a second. “I see. I'd like to speak to the commander if that is possible.”

“Sir with all due respect, you suffered severe injuries, I think that talk can wait and you should rest. Commander Cody already took care of informing the council.”

Only now he took in the state his body was in. His right leg was held in place by some kind of metal device, he had been in surgery then. It felt numb, the sedation started to wear off slowly. His right hand wasn't faring better, it was casted from his elbow to his fingertips. The saberwound on his chest had been tightly dressed with bandages and bacta. Breathing still hurt and Obi-Wan remembered as Grievous crushed his torso with no effort. His head had been bandaged as well; the whole left side of his head was covered in bacta patches. As his mind felt rather muddled, Obi-Wan guessed the medics were keeping him drugged.

After his examination, he became aware of Helix, who was still standing next to his bed and tried to snap him back to attention. ‘That man must have some insane patience, if that is what he has to keep up with on his every-day basis.’ The jedi leaned back against his pillow and tried to ignore the pounding headache which started forming since he woke up. “Sorry Helix, I must have drifted off.”

The medic spoke up again. “Sir, the damage that was dealt to your leg was extensive. I'm afraid the injury is irreparable. Your hand is in better condition. We were able to knit the bones back together, but still there could be some nerve damage. The wound on your chest was rather superficial compared to the other injuries, if you're lucky it won't even leave a scar. Some of the fractured ribs punctured your lung. We had to perform an emergency surgery to keep you from suffocating on your own blood”, the clone made a face, “you almost didn’t make it, sir. Most of us thought we lost you for good. We had to revive you at some time. We were scared as hell.”

The jedi looked him in the eye with a look of remorse and gave a wry smile. “It seems you won’t get rid of me that easy.”

Helix huffed. “Honestly General, I meant what I said. Please don’t do that again. Anyway, there’s one more thing.”   
“The lightsaber severed your ear but a major part of your skin as well. I'm honest with you, there is going to be a rather large and jagged scar on your left side. Concerning your hearing, at the moment you might be deaf on the left side, but the damage was mostly dealt on the surface. I think we could fit you with an artificial hearing device.”

Obi-Wan grunted in response. Exhaustion started to claim him. “Thank you, Helix.” He was drifting off to sleep again.

“We will arrive on Coruscant in a few hours. I’ve already made contact with the temple healers for your transfer. “

_Present time_

Helix had been correct with his forecast. The healers hadn't been able to do much about his face and leg. His hand had healed nicely in the past weeks and wasn't making any problems. He was optimistic to wield a lightsaber with it again. On the contrary, his leg hadn't improved at all, he had been in surgery again, the medics had to wire and screw the bones together in order to keep them in place. It hurt like hell and Obi-Wan was forced to walk on crutches with a heavily casted leg. He had decided against a hearing device at the moment. It would be a difficult surgical intervention and Obi-Wan had enough of hospitals. He could hear rather well, despite it being mostly one-sided. 

He was in his quarters studying a datapad when he heard a knock on the door. Glancing at the chrono he realized it was a few minutes past midnight und wondered what might be that important at this hour. Obi-Wan took his crutches and hopped towards the door, opening it with a wave of his hand. Little could he do to hide his surprise when he saw his grandpadawan Ahsoka standing at his door.

"Master Kenobi, I need to-" she stopped midsentence when she took in the state he was in, "well, what happened to you?" She turned her head up to his eyes with a questioning look.

Obi-Wan frowned and sighed: "I think it´s better to discuss this inside." With that he limped to the side to let Ahsoka inside.

Ahsoka didn´t know what to expect when she decided to look for her grandmaster in the middle of the night. He looked worse for wear, dark shadows under his eyes, a far too pale skin tone, bruises on his right hand and face, plus the casted leg and the large, angry scar on the left side of his face. His hair only partly covered the missing ear, the area had been burned off, leaving only patches of ginger hair. She wondered if he would be able to regrow the hair on the side of his head given the already forming scar tissue or if he would just shave off the rest on the sides to keep it even. It was clear that he was not faring well.

"You look troubled padawan, want some tea? " he asked in a calm tone, breaking the silence. Ahsoka had to smile a little at that question. Master Kenobi had always neglected his own wellbeing in favor of others'.

"No, thank you, I actually came to talk to you."

Obi-Wan hobbled over to her and took a seat across from her while trying not to jar his broken leg. After recomposing himself, he looked at her and asked:

"It's about Anakin, isn't it?"

"He's acting strange since your last mission together and seems very angry at you, almost in a hateful manner", Ahsoka talked slow and tried to study Obi-Wans facial expressions, but it was almost impossible to read the jedi masters' thoughts. Still she thought that she sensed a flash of hurt and sadness. "What happened back there?"

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to speak but after a few seconds he closed it again. He seemed to contemplate his next words or gather his thoughts. "I- I don't know how to explain actually", he answered with an almost steady voice. To an outsider it might have sound like his normal voice but Ahsoka knew her grandmaster to well to not catch the short crack while he spoke. Taking a breath, he rubbed his face with his hands.

"We were supposed to free a few villagers that were held as slaves by a group of pirates. Anakin and I succeeded on the first camp but then things went downhill. We underestimated them and lost a lot of men", the last words were said with a hint of remorse,   
"but Anakin kept rushing forward and ignored the situation of his troops. I think… something was triggered in him as soon he found out that these people were slaves. He wouldn't listen to me. It wasn't much later that the council called us back because they had found Grievous' location."

Ahsoka tried to follow her grandmasters' words. "He snapped at you when you had to tell him that you have to leave, right?"

Obi-Wan nodded and looked to the floor. "He didn't understand. He… said some hateful things. But somehow I think he's right... Qui-Gon should have been his master. Not me,  
I didn't even know how to teach back then and still I took him in."

She flinched a little when he mentioned Master Jinn but hat to shake her head vehemently after a few moments. "Master with all my respect, you know as well as me, that you have done the best you can to guide Anakin to knighthood and you did perfectly fine. Neither of you might admit it but you care for each other like in a family. And I am proud to say that I got the chance to be a part of that family."

Master Kenobi closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. "Anakin doesn't seem to agree with that at the moment", he mused, "he has been ignoring me since then."

He stopped for a second. "I didn't even get the chance to tell him how sorry I am for what happened. He wouldn't believe me anyway."

"You know that it's not your fault that you weren't able to save these people?", Ahsoka chimed in.

"It is, I miscalculated, I could have-", he started rambling, so Ahsoka hat to interrupt him quite forcefully.

"Master, no! It´s not your fault! There is nothing you could have done different to prevent that outcome. You were clearly outmatched and I think the men of the 212th and 501st are most grateful that you kept Master Anakin from storming off."

Obi-Wan studied Ahsoka for a moment and chuckled. "When have you become so wise?"

In response Ahsoka smiled and said: "I learnt from the best masters a padawan can wish for."

With that she stood up from her seat on the couch. "I think I should go now or Skyguy will find me missing in the morning."

"Yes, I think you should do that." Obi-Wan struggled a little with his crutches but managed to stand up rather ungracefully as well. He guided her to the door and looked at her. "Thank you, Ahsoka, for-".

Before he could end his sentence Ahsoka had engulfed him in a bone-crushing hug. After a moment of irritation, he returned the hug hesitantly. Thinking about it he doesn´t even remember when he was hugged the last time. Anakin has grown distant over the last few years and his once best friends had fallen victim to the gruesome Clone Wars. Realizing he was dwelling on the past he released his feelings into the force and slowly let go of Ahsoka.

Having picked up her grandmasters´ thoughts in the force, she turned and said: "You´re not alone, Master, we´re your family."   
With that she left the apartment and walked down the almost dead silent corridors in the middle of the night. She had to talk with her master in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have a regular update scedule, but since I have a few chapters ready, maybe I'll upload them in the next days. Stay tuned and thank you for reading :)


	3. Bury the Hatchet

**Chapter 3: Bury the Hatchet**

Everyone knew of his distaste of medical facilities, nevertheless Obi-Wan was craving for the blasted cast to finally come off. It had been three weeks now since he had his run-in with Grievous. Which led him again to the temples’ halls of healing. He was sitting in one of the examination rooms while a medical droid was cutting away the cast with mechanical precision. Number two on his list of things he distasted where definitely droids. Obi-Wan couldn’t bring himself to trust them, not when a razor-sharp blade was cutting merely millimeters above his skin right now. Maybe it had something to do with his former padawans’ tendency to tinker with every mechanical part he could find and unintentionally turning it into a full-fledged killing machine in the process. Thinking about his friend, the jedi made a face, Anakins’ rejection still hurt.

With a small thud the cast finally came off. Obi-Wan leaned forward on the bed to examine the leg. It was marred with scars around the knee where the medics had to perform the surgery. The bruises bloomed in all their beauty, their colors varying from yellow, to purple to nearly black. A few seconds later the door to the room swooshed open and Master Che entered. Obi-Wan knew the Twi’lek healer since he had been admitted to the creche. She always had that air of authority but at the same time was always gentle with her patients. ‘At least when you’re following her orders,’ the jedi master mused to himself, remembering the past times when he was left in the healers’ care.

“Obi-Wan, I see you actually didn’t skip the appointment with the healers for once.” Master Che pulled a chair over and sat down in front of him.

He had to roll his eyes in response and gave a small smile. “Hello to you too, Master Che.”

The Twi’lek chuckled. “I see at least your charm wasn’t damaged. Let’ take a look at your leg, shall we?” Gently she lifted the leg off the bed, Obi-Wan hissed a little as she touched a particular nasty bruise. Before continuing, she shot him a look of sympathy.

"Can you try to bend your knee for me, please?"

Grimacing as he did so, Master Che started to examine his leg again.

"I`ll be honest with you, Obi-Wan, you`ll not be able to walk on this leg without support, let alone pull off one of your fancy stunts."

"Blast." That wasn’t the answer he had hoped for.

"Language, Master Kenobi." Vokara huffed a little but turned serious again. "I think we should fit you with a permanent brace."

Obi-Wan put his head in his hands and slumped. "Is there really no other way? How am I supposed to fulfil my duty when I can`t even walk properly?"

"I´m sorry but the bone was crushed beyond repair, we did the best we can to knit it back together. Grievous got you good this time." Obi-Wan winced as the memory of the general crushing his leg with his metal claw returned. She then lifted his head up by putting her hand lightly under his chin. "You know this is not the end, right?"

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. "Humor me."  
Having a lot of serious answers on her mind, she rather decided to play the game as Obi-Wan had just tossed her the ball. She smirked.

"If Master Yoda can fight while using a kriffing gimer stick, I´m sure you can still fight as well."

"Is it now my place to remind you of your use of language?" Obi-Wan laughed and his eyes lit up a little. "Am I now allowed to whack people on their shins as well?"

"Don´t try it." It was relieving to have some playful banter. Master Che chuckled and said: "I think we should get you on your feet again."

"No time to waste".

After an hour Master Kenobi left the healing halls with a brace fitted to his leg. While his knee joint was being held upright now, walking without supporting himself on crutches was impossible. It was a long way of recovery and he would have to get used to the brace as it was now a part of him, even if he didn’t like to admit it. He still had to use crutches for a while due to the lack of muscle and to keep the tension off from the bone.   
Hopping down the corridor, he stopped for a moment and looked out the large window to take in the sight of the skyline of Coruscant. The sun had begun to set, tinting the huge buildings in a dark orange color. 'Was Anakin with Padme right now?', he mused. The poor boy still had no idea that he knew about them and that seemed to drive a wedge between himself and his friend.

"You know, I could use a little help right now, Master. I wish you were here." Obi-Wan looked up to the sky as if he was waiting for an answer.

"You´re doing fine, Master." He flinched at that voice.

"Anakin."

\-----

He actually didn´t mean to startle his old friend and master as he silently approached. Somehow the thought had never crossed his mind that Obi-Wan was struggling with the loss of Master Qui-Gon. Maybe he should have listened for once... read the signs that were always there. It was a shame that his padawan had been the one to knock some sense back into him. He was such a fool for calling his master a heartless and non-caring man. While still trying to process the abrupt loss of his mentor and father figure, Obi-Wan had reached out to him, had taken him in and tried the best he could to teach him. And he had always swatted away that hand, believing it was all because of a promise being made. Somehow Anakin began to understand why his master kept his distance when it came to attachment. It was not because of the jedi code but the fear of losing the ones you love. Again.   
Anakin had never known his masters´ friends personally but still the names remained. Bant. Garen. Tahl. Qui-Gon. All long gone, leaving a crack in Obi-Wans´ soul behind.

"Look, I´m so sorry about the things I said to you. I was just so- so angry about not being able to help. You didn´t deserve that, I know it´s not your fault. I-"

"I understand and I´m sorry."

"Wait, what?!" Anakin had expected a lot of answers but not an apology.

"I said I´m sorry."

"I understood you quite well, master... but why? All I did was criticizing you and let you feel my anger. So… why the kriff are YOU apologizing?!"

Obi-Wan turned his gaze from the skyline and looked directly at Anakin, revealing his facial injury. His former padawan winced at that sight and he seemed worried. The ginger continued: "Because it was my task as your guardian to know about your background and your mother as well. And I failed at that."

"You couldn´t have known, I never told you...", Anakin looked to the floor and then again at his master, "can you forgive me...? I know it´s a lot to ask and I understand if you refuse after everything I did..."

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan hopped over to his friend so that their faces were only a few inches apart. "Anakin, I would never let you down, you´re my brother, in all but blood. I was afraid that you would never speak to me again or even look at me."

Just as these words had left his mouth, Anakin threw his arms around him nearly toppling him over. Anakin let his head flop down on his shoulder and he started sobbing. It was that moment Obi-Wan saw that young little boy from Tatooine he took in all these years ago again. "Oh Anakin..." He tried to return the hug what turned out a little difficult while still leaning on the crutches.

"Let´s get you back to your apartment, shall we? I think your padawan might be getting worried about you otherwise."

"Master, before we go I- I need to tell you something." Anakin let go of him and seemed to be on edge.

"What is it?", Obi-Wan queried, holding Anakins´ gaze.

"I´m- I´m married with Padme...since the beginning of the Clone Wars..."  
Obi-Wan tried really hard to keep himself together but failed miserably. He couldn´t stop himself from laughing.

"Anakin, how blind do you think I am? You two are pretty obvious with your relationship."

Anakin looked like a gungan whose tongue had been knotted.

"You knew the whole time?! Why didn´t you say anything? Or tell the council?"

"Why should I? You´re clearly happy with her so I had no reason to destroy that on purpose."

"But you´re always the perfect jedi... and you´re on the council."

Sighing Obi-Wan turned Anakin a weary look. "I´m far from perfect. You know that. And just because I´m on the council doesn´t mean I have to tell them everything. I just wish that you could trust me one day. You know, I would have loved to see you two getting married, must have been a wonderful ceremony on Naboo."  
Having said that Obi-Wan started limping down the corridor. "Come now, padawan mine."

Anakin was too overwhelmed to even consider to complain about his masters´ way to address him. After a moment he followed him. Something inside his mind told him that he knew so little about his best friend and mentor. He decided it was time to change that.   
They made their way to the apartment at a slow pace. Exhaustion was becoming clearly visible on Obi-Wans´ face and pain laced through his force signature.

"Are you okay, master?"

His masters´ head snapped up as if he wasn´t really paying attention to his surroundings. That made Anakin even more worried. He seemed to have trouble with hearing.

"Actually, no Anakin, I´m not okay", Obi-Wan admitted which was unusual for him, "if I´m being honest, my leg hurts like hell."   
For the first time since the start of their conversation Anakin laid eyes on the injured leg. It was held upright by a brace made out of metal. Around the thigh and above the calf were padded claps adjusted, furthermore there were hinges on both sides of the knee to keep some mobility.

"Should I call for the healers?", Anakin asked.

Despite trembling slightly Obi-Wan shook his head. "I´m afraid the pain is a permanent side effect of my injury. Master Che told me though that it should get better some time."

"So... this is permanent?" He gestured at the leg.

"It is."

"Kriff."

Obi-Wan only snorted in response, he was too tired to reprimand his former padawan.   
By the time they reached Anakins´ and Ahsokas´ apartment it was costing all of Obi-Wans strength to keep himself on his feet.   
Anakin seemed to notice. "Obi-Wan, with all due respect, but you don´t look like you would make the way to your apartment. You should stay with us for the night, I´m sure Ahsoka doesn´t mind."   
Always the stubborn gundark, Obi-Wan shook his head.

"Thank you, Anakin, but I think I can manage." His room was just two stories up at the masters´ floor.   
Anakin knew that his friend wasn´t easy to convince so he tried a different approach.  
"Then at least let me accompany you to your room."

Sighing in defeat, Obi-Wan agreed. "Then let´s get going."  
It was morally reprehensible to deceive him like that but right now Anakin only cared for his masters´ wellbeing. Even when that meant to wind his way into Obi-Wans mind without him noticing. It twanged Anakins´ nerves that it was relatively easy to pull the mind trick on him right now. ‘He must be really exhausted right now’, he mused to himself. For every other jedi his masters´ barriers might have been still insurmountable, but he wasn´t the Chosen One for nothing. Still something told him that Obi-Wan might have his head when he found out eventually.  
Anakin slowly poured some of his strength into their bond and tried to ease some of his masters´ pain.

They rode the elevator to the destined floor in silence and made their approach to Obi-Wans´ room.   
Before using the biopad on the door to let himself in, Obi-Wan turned to his friend.

"Thank you for accompanying me."

"You´re welcome, master. Rest well." With that Anakin made his retreat. But before he reached the elevator his masters’ voice stopped him.

"Oh, and Anakin?"

"Yes?"

"Don´t think I didn´t notice that you pulled a mind trick on me. You won´t get away with that easy." For an outsider he might have sound serious but Anakin could hear that slight undertone of humor.

"But revenge isn´t the jedi way", he teased.

"I think I can make an exception for you, my friend." Despite the exhaustion Obi-Wans´ eyes glistered with mischief. He then turned towards the door, laid his hand on the bioscanner and entered his quarters.   
As the door slid shut, Anakin was left standing in the hallway. "You know two can always play that game, master", he smirked, before leaving to his apartment.


	4. Decisions of Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is still tagging along with this story! So here's chapter 4. Let's introduce a certain duchess, shall we? :)

**Chapter 4: Decisions of Heart**

_the next morning_

A loud and annoying beeping noise tore Obi-Wan from his sleep. 11.15 am.  
‘Huh, I can´t remember the last time when I had slept that long’, he mused. Still half-awake he fingered for his commlink on the nightstand. The display showed the unmistakable ID from Master Windu as well as three missed calls. Council business then.

"Damn it", Obi-Wan growled before finally answering the comm, "Kenobi".

"Obi-Wan, I´ve been calling you the whole morning! Come to the council chamber instantly."

"Yes, master."

"Windu out." Throwing the comm back on the table, the jedi let himself fall back on the bed for a second and rubbed his eyes.

"Charming like a rancor", Obi-Wan grumbled to himself as he made his way to the refresher to take a quick shower. Looking in the mirror, Obi-Wan almost didn't recognize himself. He was pale and the scar didn't help at all. Sighing, he mumbled to himself: “I guess jedi should not dwell on outer appearances.” Because of the scar on his head he had to cut his rather long hair short, not wanting to have patches of long hair stick out between the scar tissue. The sides were neatly trimmed now and the top was shortened as well, letting his hair stand up a little. One might mistake him for his ten years younger version if it wasn’t for the lines upon his forehead and around his eyes.

Afterwards he adjusted the brace to his leg again, grabbed his crutches and made his way to the council chamber. The walk wasn’t that long but Obi-Wan took his time, not wanting to aggravate his leg more than necessary. Also, he just wasn’t in the mood for council business yet. Contrary to the general opinion (especially Anakins’), he would get bored out of his mind sometimes during the meetings.

Ten minutes later he took his seat in the council chamber while receiving a murderous glare from Master Windu.

"Care to explain yourself, Master Kenobi?" Obi-Wan knew Mace too long to be afraid of his threatening tone and raised his eyebrow.

"I´m afraid, there is no real explanation except that I took my freedom to sleep in today, during my medical leave", he responded dryly.

There duel of wits was interrupted by the tap of Master Yodas´ gimer stick on the floor.

"Enough this is. A Mission for you we have, Master Kenobi."

That surprised Obi-Wan. "A mission? But I´m on medical leave and I´m not at my physical best right now." Truth to be told he hadn´t even thought about sparring or training since his leg injury.

"An investigation this is. Attacked by a mandalorian our cruisers have been."

Obi-Wan furrowed his brows, that didn’t sound like Satine at all. That woman was a pacifist with all her heart. "Mandalore is pacifist since Duchess Satine took the reign. That can´t be true."

Master Yodas´ ears twitched. "That´s why investigate you will. Leave tomorrow you will."

Barely concealing his excitement about seeing Satine again, Obi-Wan managed a quick answer. "Of course, master. Is that everything?"

"Dismissed you are." Obi-Wan nodded and stood up from his seat together with the other council members.

As he left the council chamber, he nearly bumped headfirst into his former padawan.  
“Anakin, what are you doing here?”

“I just… wait did the council just give you a mission? Alone? I thought you weren´t allowed to for a while.” Obi-Wan could feel Anakins´ temper burbling up but it wasn´t directed at him. He was angered by the councils´ decision and worried for his friend.

While Anakins´ eyes bore daggers into the door of the chamber, another question flared up in his mind.   
“Have you been eavesdropping?”

That seemed to rip his friend out of his stasis. “What? No… I just…”, he started rambling and Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. “Okay, fine. Yes, maybe I was eavesdropping. But I didn´t get much, I promise. Care to enlighten me about your mission?”

The older man shifted his weight on his crutches and looked at his friend. “They´re sending me to Mandalore for an investigation. There has been an attack on one of our ships.”

“Mandalore? So, you´re going to see your girlfriend again”, his padawan teased.

At first Obi-Wan wanted to deny that accusation like he always did, but then he remembered Anakins´ relationship with Padme.   
“Actually yes, I´m going to.”

He turned around to face his friend and smirked. “What?”

Anakin blinked at him. “Did you just confirm your relationship with the duchess?”

Obi-Wan chuckled and glanced around the hallway. “Maybe we should discuss that in private.” That seemed to rip Anakin out of his thoughts.

“Oh yes, actually the reason I was looking for you was that Padme and I wanted to invite you for dinner today evening. We would be happy if you accepted. So, what do you say?” His padawan shot him a questioning look.

The master thought for a moment but then accepted the invitation. “I see you in the evening then, but I think I have to prepare myself for the mission this afternoon.”

Anakin brightened up upon hearing his answer and couldn’t quite contain his excitement. “Of course, master. I pick you up. But I think I have to go now, I promised Ahsoka to meet her in the training salles.” Having said that his friend waved his good bye and dashed down the temple halls, nearly crashing into a group of padawans which was gathered around the corner.

Obi-Wan watched his protegees back, smiled and shook his head. ‘Some things never change, so it seems.’

It was late in the afternoon while Obi-Wan was studying the latest mission reports concerning the mandalorian when his commlink went off. Without glancing at the ID he answered the call. “Kenobi.”

“I heard you're deployed for Mandalore due to tomorrow.” His head snapped up, he dropped the datapad he was holding and made a grab for the commlink in a haste.

“Satine? Yes, that's right. Is that a problem?” He frowned.

“No, it's just… I haven't heard from you in a month and now you're turning up with an accusation that is going to question my ability to lead Mandalore.”

“I would never accuse you, Satine. I hope you know that”, Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose, “Please, we just need to clear things up, something is wrong here. I think someone is working against you. I hoped we could talk tomorrow personally.”

There was a short pause on the other side. “Sure, Obi. Still this doesn't explain why you haven't been calling these past weeks.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “I was sent on two missions. Let´s just say, things didn't go the way they should have. Can we please talk about this in private?”

It was true that they hadn't spoken for weeks and that wasn't just because of him being on missions or being kept in the healing halls. Somehow every conversation they had lately turned into a heated argument which mostly ended with both of them blocking out the other. Obi-Wan knew it was because of the war. It was always because of this forsaken war. They had been fine before, but now it seemed like they were standing on opposite sides at some times. He always tried to emphasize with Satines' point of view, however when it came down to Obi-Wan reasoning with her, the pacifist, about the way the jedi had to partake in this conflict, there was no hint of her understanding him. It hurt, but the fear of losing her was big enough to make him back down. He started to keep his silence about the events on the war, not wanting to push the subject further than necessary.

Concern was rising inside Satine as she heard her friends' words. “Are you alright?”

Obi-Wan pursed his lips and thought for a moment. He knew he should be honest with her, but he just couldn't see how him telling her about his near-death experience on his last mission could help. Satine would only worry about him and she already had enough on her plate. He would tell her when the time's due.

“I'm okay. Don't worry about me.” She couldn't quite believe her partner but she knew better than to start an argument.

“If you say so. I'll be waiting for you then, Obi-Wan.”

“Thank you, Satine…. I missed you.” His voice sounded heavy.

“I love you too, Obi. Stay safe.” Satine ended the call.

Obi-Wan let his head drop into his hands. “That went really well…”. He leaned back in his chair and pulled a small casket out of his pocket. It contained a white gold ring with a little kyber crystal inserted. Right now, it was pulsating with a mix of different colors, changing from blue to red to yellow and back, picking on its keepers’ emotions. The jedi smiled sadly. “Maybe one day I find the right moment to ask… if she wants me.” He closed the lid again and tucked it away safely inside his tunics. Obi-Wan looked outside the window. It was already evening. Anakin would stop by in any minute.

On cue, he heard the door of his apartment swoosh open. ‘Right, his signature is still connected with the biopad.’ Obi-Wan didn't have the heart to delete it after Anakin had been knighted. He smiled to himself, remembering the years of Anakins’ apprenticeship. ‘But somehow I didn't manage to knock some sense for decency into him'. The elder jedi stood up from his desk and grabbed the crutches which were laying on the floor. He limped toward the living room.

“Anakin, have you ever heard of the thing called knocking?” His former padawan was still standing in the doorway, looking like a child who had been caught while trying to steal from the cookie jar.

“Uh, I mean… sorry, master. Did I disturb you?” Obi-Wan chuckled, it was still fun to tease his friend after all these years. After recomposing himself, he said:   
“Come on, Anakin. Let the old man have some fun. It's okay. I was just kidding. You know you're always welcome here. Should we get going now?” He grinned.

“Sure, master.”

“Obi-Wan.”

“What?”

The jedi master rolled his eyes. “I told you often enough to call me Obi-Wan, not master. You're not my padawan anymore, remember?”

Anakin blinked at him, but then he said. “Of course, mas… Obi-Wan. I just guess old habits die hard. Does it count as a show of respect?”

Obi-Wan snorted. “Anakin Skywalker is showing respect? I'm flattered.” He put his hand to his mouth teasingly.

Anakin shot him a smug smile. “Hey! I'm not that bad. Come now, we don't want to keep Padme waiting. Do you have everything you need?” He glanced at his master.

Obi-Wan adjusted the grip on his crutches and nodded. “It's fine, let's go.” He pushed past his friend and stepped out on the corridor.

For the first time in a few years Obi-Wan felt no unspoken truths linger between himself and Anakin. Maybe they could finally set things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Off to Mandalore we are! Let me know what you think about this so far and if I should continue this story :D Anyway thanks for reading!


	5. Delusions of a Dreamer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments! I'm really happy that you like my story :)

**Chapter 5: Delusions of a Dreamer**

To say that he was exhausted, was an understatement. Anakin and Padme had literally attempted to squeeze every tiny bit of information out of him about his relationship with Satine. In an act of self-defense Obi-Wan had looked a little too deep into his glass of whiskey. Which he regretted now.

Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes and tried to stretch his legs in the cramped star fighter. His head pounded like someone had placed a well-aimed punch right between his eyes. `Damn it Anakin, why is it that I always seem to drink too much when I spend time with you? ‘

The flight to Mandalore was long and the jedi master had tried to sleep a little. Only the beeping sound from his astromech R4 ripped him from his unrestful slumber, telling him that he had arrived in Mandalores’ atmosphere and the authorities were requesting authentication. He took a moment to compose himself before he answered.

“This is jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi, I have an appointment with the duchess.”

“Understood, land in bay 5, there will be a transport waiting for you.” Obi-Wan let out a breath and steered his vehicle towards the assigned landing platform. Glancing out of the viewport he took in the sight of the city of Sundari. It had been years since he had been here. After landing his fighter, the jedi master climbed out of the cockpit. His leg hurt after the long flight, but he refrained from using his crutches while he met with Satine. Still they were safely tucked away in his ship in case of emergency. He would walk with a rather significant limp but it was still better than to rely on the crutches and appear like an invalid. The jedi hoped that the Force would provide him with the necessary support.

Obi-Wan turned away from his star fighter and made his way over to the transport that would take him to the palace. He was greeted by a palace guard who wore a set of blue Mandalorian armor. The colors of Clan Kryze.

“Are you the jedi?”, asked the guard with a distorted voice. It was clear that the man behind the helmet held a grudge against his kind, he didn’t need the force to tell him that. ‘Still no hospitality for the jedi’, thought Obi-Wan. Not wanting to cause a scene, he swallowed his pride and answered with a slight bow.

“I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, on behalf of the jedi council.”

“Very well, follow me.” The man turned around and stepped towards the transport platform. Obi-Wan tried to keep pace while doing his best to suppress his limp. He was grateful for the brace Master Che had fitted for him, because he wouldn’t have been able to even walk a few meters without his knee giving out under him. Steadying his breath, he released the pain, which seared through his body like a flash everytime he took a step, into the force.

The transport lifted up and Obi-Wan was taken through a gigantic travel system, which led directly to the palace. After a short flight they descended from the platform and the guard led him into the throne room. The jedi master felt his nervousness prickling underneath his skin, as he caught sight of the duchess standing on the other side of the room. She still hadn’t noticed their approach and was looking out of one of the big, colored windows, back turned towards them.

The guard cleared his throat and spoke: “Duchess, jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi is here for the meeting.”

There was a slight nod from Satine, she didn’t turn around. “You may leave us alone.”

The guard seemed to want to object but refrained from it. While turning around he shot a rather venomous glare towards the jedi.

After the guards left, Obi-Wan approached the podest with the throne and Satine turned around.

\-----

It had been years since they had seen each other in person. As Satine descended the steps from her throne, she took in the sight of her dear friend and partner. The time had not been kind to him, he had a fresh, nasty looking scar on his head now, his left ear missing. ‘He lied when he told me that he was fine' she mused.

She took the last few steps in a swift motion and smiled at him. She pulled him into a hug which he reluctantly returned. “Obi-Wan, it's been a long time.” Carefully she reached up to caress the scar on the left side of his face. He flinched a little at the touch but didn't pull away. Satine turned her eyes from the scar to meet his gaze. “My gosh, what happened?” 

Obi-Wan reached up, to slowly pull her hand away from his face. He smiled sadly. “Remember when I told you about Grievous, the cyborg general?”

As if she could ever forget that name. Satine had seen the pictures of destruction on the HoloNet. They called him the ‘jedi killer’. Slaughtering padawans and masters alike. It made her feel angry that this monster was still roaming the galaxy.

“Satine, you alright?”

Her train of thought was interrupted by Obi-Wans’ voice. He was sporting that look of concern again that she had seen so often back when they were on the run together with Master Jinn. Satine shook her head.

“Sorry, I must have drifted off. It’s just... I can’t believe the toll the war is taking from all of you.”

Obi-Wan averted his gaze. “Satine, it’s my duty to protect the innocents.”

“But when did the jedi, the peacekeepers, turn into generals leading soldiers into battle?”

It felt like all the calm her partner had gathered was swept away from him in an instant. Like something snapped inside of him. He gritted his teeth and nearly hissed. “So what? You want us to back off? Let the Separatists continue their path of destruction? Let planets fall under their wrath? I thought you understood, Satine. That we tried the other ways. We didn’t choose this war.”   
He turned to look at her again, his eyes glassy und voice nearly a whisper. “Every day I ask myself what the point of this insanity is. And yet I make myself go on, in the hope that someday there will be a way out for all of us. Believe me, I’m tired of burying the people I care about.”

Satine didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t her intention to hurt Obi-Wan. And yet she clearly did. “Obi, I…”

He shook his head, looking lost. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. I- I think I need to go out for a moment and catch a breath.” Her friend turned around and started to leave. Satine thought about stopping or following him, but she held back. ‘I don’t think I would do him any good right now.’

She watched him heading for the door, only noticing now that he walked with a heavy limp. There was a brace strapped to his right leg, which seemed to be the only thing keeping him upright at the moment. Satine remembered the once so joyful young man who always managed to put a smile on her face. It felt like only the outer shell of him had remained over the time. He was scarred and damaged not just physically but also mentally.

Still eyeing his retreating form, she mumbled to herself: “I should have been there for you. I’m so sorry, Obi.”

\-----

As Obi-Wan exited the throne room, he was met with the sight of a large park planted with colorful flowers and trees. People were taking a walk or chatting on one of the many benches placed along the paths. Still the peaceful atmosphere couldn’t ease the jedis’ mind. He made his way over to the balcony which separated the park from the other city platforms. Obi-Wan braced his forearms against the railing and examined the stories below. Somehow Sundari reminded him of a smaller, less industrialized version of Coruscant. ‘Maybe I should have left the order and stayed with Satine when I had the chance.’ Their reunion hadn’t gone the way he imagined and now he wasn’t even sure that he wanted to step under her eyes again. After all these years they still had their differences but somehow finding out that one of the few people he cared about didn’t understand his actions, felt like someone ripped the ground from under his feet. Satine may be a pacifist but that shouldn’t keep her from seeing that the jedi weren’t the aggressors in this war.

Obi-Wan let his gaze wander to the sky, observing the blue horizon and the spaceships which entered or left Mandalores' atmosphere. He closed his eyes and tried to center himself again. But his peace of mind wouldn't return to him easily.

“I thought you had a meeting with the duchess?”

His eyes snapped open and Obi-Wan whirled around, lost in his thoughts he hadn't sensed the persons’ approach. “Excuse me?”

It was that guard he met before. Something in the back of his mind told him that the man in front of him was playing a wrong game. His aura unnerved him but Obi-Wan couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

The man stepped closer. “What I meant is, that it is irresponsible to leave the duchess alone. You wouldn't want something happening to her, do you?”

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes and grabbed the hilt of his lightsaber. “Who are you and what do you want?”

The Mandalorian chuckled and started pacing in front of him. “You see, jedi, you always claim to be the peace keepers, but look who's the one with his hand on a weapon. One might mistake you for one of us if you weren't wielding that sword and wearing these robes.” The man stopped and turned his head towards the jedi. Even though the helmet covered the guards' face, Obi-Wan could tell that the man was grinning and staring him in the eyes. “You're not that different from of us.”

The guard took a step towards Obi-Wan, so they were almost face to face. “And to answer your questions… we're the Death Watch. And about what we want... I think actions speak louder than words.”

It all happened in a split second. First the Mandalorian pulled something from his belt that Obi-Wan hadn't noticed before. A detonator. He made a move to stop the man from pushing the button but it was already too late.

The next thing he knew was that he was sent flying, something shattered behind his back which he realized later, was the glass railing of the balcony. While he toppled over the edge of the platform, he caught a glimpse of the scene. Smoke filled the air and he could hear people screaming. The whole park had been blown up by a bomb.

Given the situation at hand, he had no time to access the scenario as he began to fall towards the stories below. If he wanted to have a chance to survive, he had to use the force to slow his freefall. The drop was about ten stories deep, so there was no way he would remain unscathed. Obi-Wan called upon the force and braced himself for the impact. ‘I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.’

The force responded to his plea but the landing was hard. He touched down with his feet first and rolled over his shoulder a few times before he came to a halt. His already mangled leg was screaming in agony and he was pretty sure something snapped when he made contact with the ground. He could deem himself lucky that this was the only thing he broke due to the fall. Obi-Wan could already feel the bruises forming all over his body but he could handle that. He had to find out more about the Death Watch, the bombing and return to Satine as fast as possible.

As he struggled to stand up, he became aware of a barrel of a gun pressed between his shoulders.

“You're coming with us, jedi.” The trigger was pulled and the shot rang out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, let me know what you think about my take on the characters :D Any suggestions or ideas? Let me know in the comments!


	6. The lesser Evil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here goes chapter six! Somehow I completly messed up the grammar in this one, so I spend a lot of time fixing my mistakes. Must be the weather here in Germany :'D  
> Anyway, I hope I found most of them. Have fun reading!

**Chapter 6: The lesser Evil**

As the stun bolt made contact with his spine, Obi-Wan felt like he just made a grab for a power line. His muscles cramped as he writhed in pain on the floor. Someone was shouting in the background, but he couldn’t make out the words as he fought to keep consciousness. The Force urged him to stand up and fight back. His body wouldn’t comply. As Obi-Wan managed to get an arm underneath his torso to try to heave himself up, he became aware of movement on his right side. He twisted to see whatever it was but couldn’t see straight. His vision was blurry and it hurt to open his eyes.

The Force screamed again for him to move. The motion was almost mechanical as Obi-Wan miraculously managed to rip his arm in front of his face to stop what was barreling towards him. He managed to catch the armored boot which presumably belonged to one of the Death Watch soldiers. The jedi yanked with all his might and made his attacker fall to the ground with a yelp, rendering him unconscious when his head made contact with the concrete. As the adrenaline finally kicked in, Obi-Wan stumbled to his feet and his vision cleared a little. ‘You won’t knock me out that easy.’

He barely had a second to register his surroundings as the six remaining Death Watch members started shooting at him. His hand moved to his belt to grab his lightsaber, only to find it missing. “Blast.” He must have lost it during the explosion. Diving behind the next cover he could find, Obi-Wan contemplated his options. Outrunning them wasn’t possible as his leg wouldn’t hold up to the strain, even if he wouldn’t have fallen about ten stories before and snapped his knee again in the process.

His eyes fell on the blaster which the downed guard must have dropped earlier on. The jedi master used the Force and pulled the gun into his hand with a flick of his wrist. It was still set to stun. Obi-Wan thought about switching the mode but refrained in the end. ‘Satine would never let me live that down, if I kill these people.’

Taking a breath, he centered himself and took aim at the soldiers. Obi-Wan had always been a natural when it came to shooting, he actually won a few bets against his men. Nevertheless, he preferred using his lightsaber for a fight than a gun.

In the next few minutes Obi-Wan took out the six enemies, their bodies crumbling to the floor as the electricity of the stun bolts hit home. He was just about to look out for more Death Watch members, when he was stopped by a scream.

Whipping around at the sound, the jedi looked at a young girl, around Ahsokas’ age, held at gunpoint by the maniac who had triggered the explosion. ‘Of course, that asshole survived.’ Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes and growled, pointing his blaster at the mans’ head: “Let her go, your quarrel is with me, not her.”

The false guard laughed and seized the girl by her neck, still holding the gun, apparently a slugthrower, more specifically a scatter gun, to her skull. ‘Rare weapon’, Obi-Wan mused.   
“I must say, I’m impressed, jedi. You’re harder to catch than we anticipated. It’s not every day that I see someone stand up again after being hit by a stun bolt. Also, you’ve got some very impressive shooting skills there.”

Tightening his grip on the blaster handle, Obi-Wan took an unsteady step towards the man, his broken knee threatening to give out beneath him, all the while scanning his surroundings with the Force for further threats. The Force was flooded with panic, radiating from the girl in front of him. He tried to calm her by sending soothing waves through the Force. “What do you want?”

The man cracked a laugh again. “I thought I already told you that. We want to bring Mandalore back to his old glory. And you, my friend”, he waved the slugthrower at him for a second, “you’re one of the key elements in this plan.”

‘He wants to use me against Satine.’ Obi-Wan lifted his hands and took another cautious step forward. “Okay, you got me, now let the girl go.”

Tilting his head, the guard huffed: “I think she makes a fine bargain right now, you jedi are so predictable. I think she’s coming with us. Now, throw that blaster away and get on your knees.”

The jedis’ eyes darkened, he snarled: “I don’t think so”. Having made up his mind, Obi-Wan closed the distance between himself and the man in a blink of an eye. He grasped the girls’ arm and used the force to shove the man backwards. His momentum caused his knee to finally cave in and the jedi crashed forward, catching himself on his hands. With a thundering voice he bellowed for the girl to run. She didn’t need to be told twice, as she began darting for the next alley.

The guard recovered quicker than anticipated. Obi-Wan was prepared for the man taking a shot it him. But as the metal bullet was sent flying, the jedi realized that the projectile wasn’t meant for him.

The girl. ‘Blast’.

Obi-Wan ripped around and jumped. ‘Better me than her’, he thought before the bullet entered his body. It ripped through his skin and the bullet shattered on his collar bone, leaving a mangled mess of bone and metal behind. His hand moved up to press on the wound. The pain was blinding, blood was starting to pool on the tatters of his tunic. Too much. Obi-Wan knew from experience that he would bleed out in the next few hours if that bleeding wasn’t stopped. As he hit the ground, he became aware of the guard looming above him, smoking scatter gun still in his hand. There was movement around him and more men of the Death Watch arrived.

“Take him and make sure he doesn’t die yet. We still need him.” The pain, that erupted from the wound as he was roughly hoisted up from the ground, was the last straw for Obi-Wan. He let out a pained cry before his body finally gave out.

\-----

A few minutes after Obi-Wan left the palace, an explosion erupted from the nearby park, shaking the buildings’ walls. Without having second thoughts, Satine stormed from the throne room, not waiting for her guards. As she came to a halt, she took in the sight in front of her. Smoke and ash filled the air, the once so peaceful park was torn apart and burning. Bodies littered the ground; the authorities were starting to search for survivors.

Satine stared aghast at the destruction in front of her, panic started to set in. Something in the center of the park caught her eye, which made her stomach turn even more. ‘No. It can’t be.’ The duchess made her way over, staring at the small hologram that made her feel sick. The Death Watch symbol. So the rumors had been true. They had reformed and returned. Satine remembered her last call with Obi-Wan. ‘I think someone is working against you.’ It felt like the pieces inside her head snapped into place. It had to be someone on the inside. Someone she trusted. ‘I was such a fool.’ Satine squeezed her eyes shut. Vizsla. The one that always claimed to support her by rooting out the Death Watch. It all made sense now, he used his supposed work against the Death Watch as a cover up to actually rebuild the group.

Following her train of thought, she was suddenly interrupted by her personal guards’ approach. “Duchess, we think it’s best for you to get back inside. Actually, we thought that jedi was with you.”

Satines’ eyes snapped open instantly. “Oh my…Obi-Wan!” She whirled around and faced her protectors. “Please tell me that you’ve seen him.”

The guards seemed to be a little irritated at her sudden outburst but both shook their heads before one of them answered: “I don’t think so, milady.”

Needn’t be told that twice, the duchess ignored her guards further protest about her not being safe outside and scanned the area again for her partner. She would never forgive herself if something happened to him. Not after their argument. Fear gripped her heart.

Satine approached one of the medics who was working on one the survivors. “Excuse me, sir, but have you or one of your colleagues seen a jedi at the bombing side? Auburn hair, beard, scar on the left side of his face?” She gestured with her hands, while trying to stay calm.

The medic thought about it for a moment but then made an apologetic face. “Sorry, duchess, but I haven’t seen someone that fits that description.” Satine nodded shortly and murmured a thank you before the man returned to his work.

‘Where are you, Obi?’ The blond-haired woman looked around again until a small, silver object on the ground near the balcony caught her attention. She almost ran over to her destination and quickly picked up the to her so well-known cylinder. Obi-Wans’ lightsaber. Not the same he wielded when he was a padawan under the tutelage of Master Jinn. Tracing the outer shell, she remembered the one time Obi-Wan disassembled it to show her the blue kyber crystal. It had felt warm in her palm, giving her a feeling of familiarity. As she clutched the weapon now, she felt no such thing. Dread seemed to claim her. ‘This weapon is your life.’ So the jedi always said. Obi-Wan once offered the weapon to her, saying that he would leave the order if she would ask him to. She hadn’t had the heart that day to make him leave, the jedi had always been his family and she wouldn’t want to take that away from him. Satine knew that she somewhat hurt him with her rejection, but deep down he possibly understood her reasons. He never asked her again.

Clutching the hilt tighter in her small palm, she tucked it safely away in her sleeve.

Her gaze fell on the railing of the balcony. The glass was shattered. Satine made a careful step towards the edge and gazed down towards the other platforms. ‘Did he fall down?’ “Please be alive, Obi.”

Her guards approached her again. She rightened herself and turned her gaze on them. “I need some men to search the lower platforms, someone might have fallen through the railing.”

One of the men cleared his throat. “Duchess, with all due respect, I think there is someone you’d like to talk to.” Having said that the two made place to let a young girl through.

The poor child looked disheveled and frightened. Satine slowly drew nearer to the girl and searched her gaze. “What’s your name?”, she asked gently.

The girl looked up shortly and fumbled with her hands. “Tara.”

The duchess took the childs’ hands. “You’re alright, Tara. What is it you wanted to tell me?”

Tara gripped Satines’ hand tighter and said with a trembling voice: “There was that man,   
he… he grabbed me and held a gun to my head.” The kid lifted her watering eyes from the floor. “I was so scared.”

“It’s okay. Just keep going.” She urged the girl.

“He dragged me with him and threatened another man. He looked like a jedi.”

Satines’ eyes widened. ‘Okay, keep calm.’ She composed herself before talking again. “A jedi? How’d you know that?”

The girl shrugged. “I think I’ve seen him on the HoloNet before, but I can’t remember his name…”, she gestured to her shirt,” and he wore these robes.”

“Tara, what happened then?”

“The jedi urged him to let me go, but… the man, he refused. So the jedi used his powers to push him back and ripped me free. He told me to run. So I did.” Tara took a breath.

“When I started running, I looked over my shoulder and saw him shooting at me. I- I don’t know what happened, it was all so fast. The next thing I saw was the jedi crumbling to the ground…” The girl looked at Satine with wet eyes. “There was so much blood… and then the other men showed up, I think they took him.”

Satine swallowed and her voice trembled a little. “Tara, did the man say who he was working for?”

“Death Watch... He said he worked for the Death Watch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Satine figured out who's working against her and the Death Watch is advancing! Our jedi finds himself on the wrong end of the gun again. Bad luck or old habits?   
> Let me know what you think :)


	7. Cat and Mouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support! This really motivates me to keep on writing :)  
> Chapter 7 in particular was fun to write, but also extremely difficult at the same time. I really have no idea why :D  
> So enough rambling from the author, enjoy reading!

**Chapter 7: Cat and Mouse**

‘Just breathe, in and out.’ Satine remembered the time Obi-Wan had shown her the ways of meditation. They’d been merely more than kids back then. The time had changed them both. Obi-Wan had been thrust into a life torn by war and loss. Satine would never forget the night he had called her about Qui-Gons’ death. He had sound so lost and broken, barely keeping himself together. Her heart always ached when she saw him like this. And then there had been the boy. Anakin. The child from Tatooine and his new apprentice. Obi-Wan had clamped down his own grief, so he could be a steadying presence for him. They had a rocky start but she knew these two had become inseparable. Like brothers. Some of his lost joy returned with Anakin. But over the past years they had begun to drift apart again. Satine had seen how it hurt her jedi to be shut out by his best friend. And the worst of all was, that he couldn’t comprehend why and that kept tearing him apart. The silence was what followed. It looked like the stoic mask he wore while being on the battlefield was the only thing that kept him somewhat sane.

She herself had become calmer and more collected, trying to fulfill her duties as Mandalores’ new leader. The Mandalorians had partaken in many wars in the past, so maintaining a neutral and pacifist policy had led to resistance. Her people were split into two fractions, the ones who supported her and the ones who praised the ‘Old Mandalore’. Banning the last Death Watch members to the moon Concordia had been a vital strike for her to stabilize her reign. Them showing up again had been a shock, there numbers had decreased over the past years so she couldn’t quite grasp how they reformed again. ‘Maybe they are being supported from someone.’ 

Thinking about Obi-Wan, Satines’ stomach flipped again. She knew that he had been injured by the Death Watch soldier. Her fingers found their way to the lightsaber which she had strapped to her forearm underneath her jacket. ‘I have to find him, fast.’

Bypassing her guards, Satine had snuck out of the palace in the middle of the night, taking one of the small ships in the hanger to head to Concordia. She wasn’t the best pilot but her father had taught her a few things when she had been a kid. Overcoming the planets’ security system had been a whole other thing. Her leaving the planet for no reason in the middle of the night would be more than suspicious and she couldn’t be sure that the Death Watch wasn’t tracking the traveling system. So Satine used the override code only she knew about, which granted her free access. Of course, the plan wasn’t infallible, but it would buy her some time to get to the moon and get Obi-Wan out. ‘If they had even brought him there.’

The duchess steered her vehicle down to the surface. Her intel had provided her with the Death Watchs’ settlement location, so she landed a good distance away from the compound, trying to stay of their radar. ‘Here goes nothing’. Satine grabbed her stun gun and made her way to her destination. It was an about two klicks walk and Satine scanned her surroundings again. She could see some sort of entrance which had been build into the rock formations. Unguarded. ‘Odd’. Turning her gaze to the cliff sides, she noticed that the place seemed almost abandoned. No patrols or security systems were to be seen.

Sneaking around the stone walls, she made her way over to the door. It was unlocked, so she silently slipped in. In front of her, a hallway opened itself up. The walls were clad with metal plates and the whole structure looked a lot like a factory. Satine snuck further into the compound, until she reached a room which resembled a production hall. Conveyer belts and other machines had been set up there and she caught glimpses of helmets and weapon parts. ‘What are they doing here? Rebuilding an army?’

She held herself close to the walls, always looking out for cameras or other safety mechanisms. Still nothing. Satine was about to turn around a corner, as she heard voices from down the hallway. ‘Not abandoned then’. Peeking, she caught a glimpse of two guards in Mandalorian armor heading down the corridor. “Haar'chak”, hissed Satine between clenched teeths and started looking for a place to hide. Her eyes fell on the ventilation shaft on the ceiling of the production hall. Maybe she could climb one of the conveyer belts to reach it, but she had to act fast if she didn’t want to get caught. Making up her mind, Satine pulled herself up on the construction and carefully placed her feet between the helmets and weapon parts, not wanting to knock them over and alert the guards. As she reached the ceiling, Satine tried to pull the grid from its socket but it wouldn’t budge. It was screwed in place. Satine scrunched her nose. ‘Come on, think, Satine.’ Then she had a flash of inspiration. Obi-Wans’ lightsaber. Of course, why hadn’t she thought about it sooner? Pulling it from her sleeve, she examined the weapon. Satine had never used it before, it felt foreign in her hand. Pushing the activation button, the blue blade snapped to life. Her hands began to tremble. ‘Okay, Satine. You can do this.’ Steadying herself, she used the blade to cut through the bolts of the grid. Having finished her task, she quickly returned the hilt back to its place in her sleeve and pushed the grid into the vent. Just as she climbed into the cramped space and rearranged the grid, the guards stepped into the hall. Satine let out a breath. ‘That was to close for comfort.’

Looking through the grid, she tried to eavesdrop on the guards’ conversation.

“… can’t believe we wasted our medical supplies on this jedi”, one of the guards grunted.

The other chuckled. “Relax, we’re only keeping him alive. As far as I know they just prevented him from bleeding out.”

His companion shook his head. “Too much mercy, if you’d ask me. Why not let him die? We’ve killed jedi before in the past.”

“Vizsla wants to use him against the duchess. Apparently, they are in a relationship or something like that.”

Satine clenched her fists, as she heard the men speak. So Vizsla was the mole that kept undermining her. She should have known sooner. ‘At least, Obi-Wan is still alive.’ Worry started to overcome her again, but Satine vehemently shook her head. She had to remain calm if she wanted to find him.

Setting her goal, she advanced through the small and dusty shaft.

\----

Waking up was unpleasant. The air was damp and a cold, hard metal slap pressed against his bare back. Obi-Wan shifted a little and instantly regretted it. Pain seared through his left shoulder and broken knee. Hissing, he gritted his teeth and made a move to grab the injured area with his right hand. At least he tried to. As he was met with resistance, the jedi realized two things.

First, he couldn’t move.

Second, the Force was absent.

“Blast.” Stamping down his up-flaring panic, Obi-Wan tried to access his situation. Craning his neck, he felt something sharp, made out of metal, digging into his flesh. A Force suppression collar. Not good. Judging by his complete lack of access to the Force, this one was well crafted. As he couldn’t examine the collar in more detail now, he turned his attention to the rest of his body. They had removed his clothing except for his underpants. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in a humored manner. ‘Well, at least they haven’t left me completely exposed.’ Still it was freezing cold down here and he didn’t intend on staying here in a long term. His left shoulder had been bandaged, but he could see small red blotches of blood already tinting the white gauze. ‘They haven’t removed the bullet pieces or set the bone’, he mused. ‘It’s only a matter of keeping me alive, then.’ The rest of his arm had been tied to his chest, preventing him from jostling the wound.

His legs and right hand had been fastened to the slap with metal cuffs. As he pulled with his right arm again, they wouldn’t even budge an inch, he was only rewarded with a small trail of blood as the metal dug into his wrist. ‘Great. No escape through trying to break these, I suppose.’

Looking at his right leg, he noticed that they had removed his brace as well. The knee was swollen and tinted in a dark blue color, at least as far Obi-Wan could tell due to the bad lighting. ‘Master Che is going to kill me.’

The jedi let his head flop back against the cold metal and sighed, his chances for escape were dwindling small. Even when he somehow managed to rip himself free from the cuffs, he couldn’t run with his leg and fighting unarmed with only one functioning arm was absolutely insane.

As Obi-Wan continued staring at the ceiling, he suddenly became aware of a noise from above his head. Was someone crawling through the shafts? He turned his head and squinted through the dark. The room wasn’t big by any means, it was clad with metal and empty except for his poor excuse of the bed he was lying on.

His eyes locked on the grid in the ceiling which covered the ventilation shaft. It was too dark to tell if someone was moving behind it. All of sudden a blue blade pierced the metal holding the grid and a small, lean figure dropped to the ground below. Obi-Wan couldn’t believe his eyes. ‘Is that my kriffing lightsaber?’ He turned his gaze from the blade to the figure whose face was now illuminated by the weapon.

“Satine?! What the hell are you doing here?”, he sputtered perplexed.

Smirking, she quickly made her way over to and knelt down next to him. “What do you think? Rescuing you, you di’kut.” Her eyes trailed over his leg and bandaged shoulder, where the wrapping slowly turned into a slight shade of red. “Oh my… Obi, what happened?”

He huffed in response before locking his eyes on her again. “How about you get these off me”, he motioned with his head to the bindings, “and I’ll give you the short version.”

Nodding, she carefully used the lightsaber to cut away the cuffs on his ankles and hand. As she had finished her task, Obi-Wan slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. It made him feel dizzy and nauseous, so he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

“Satine, I need you to remove the collar as well.” He tilted his head to show her the device around his neck.

“What? Obi, no, I- I can’t. What if I cut you? I…” Her rambling was interrupted by him putting his hand under her chin and looking at her with blue, focused eyes.

“I trust you, Satine. You know that. You haven’t cut me before, so don’t worry about that. I can’t do it myself right now, so please, can you do it?”

She steadied her breath and nodded. “Okay, I- I’ll do it. Please hold still.”

Putting her hand under his jaw she moved his head slightly to the left to give her an easier access to the collar. Gripping the lightsaber tightly with her right hand, she carefully cut through the metal until it gave way and scattered to the floor.

The instant the suppression collar came off, Obi-Wan flinched back into the wall like someone had slapped him and squeezed his eyes shut.

Satine hitched with worry and put a steadying hand on his right forearm. “You okay? Did I cut you?”

The jedi opened his eyes again and gripped the hand on his arm, giving a tight smile. “No no, it’s just… an unpleasant feeling to be cut of from the Force for some time and have it returned at once. I’m fine, thanks to you.” This time he gave her a genuine smile. “I think we should get out of here before they catch us. How’d you even get in?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

The woman in question just chuckled. “Back entrance, it was mostly unguarded. And you know, I learned a thing or two in the year on the run.” She winked, but then turned serious again. “Think we can get that door open?”

‘Typical.’ Obi-Wan just shook his head in disbelieve and held out his hand. “I’ve got an idea. Help me up?” As Satine hoisted him up and pulled his good arm over her shoulder, they both nearly crumbled to the floor before steadying themselves again. “Gosh, Obi, you’re heavy.”

The jedi snorted but also made a pained face as the movement pulled on his injuries. “You calling me fat? You’re hurting my feelings, darling.” They made their way over to the door at a slow pace as Obi-Wan had to lean on Satine with only one functioning leg. “Okay, I think I can pick that lock with the Force. Do you have any idea where we are and how we get out?”

“Actually, no. I hoped that you might have an idea.” She adjusted her grip on his arm and shot him a questioning look while he was working on the lock. He had closed his eyes in concentration and was moving his fingers slightly.

Click. With a snap the locking bolt retraced into the door. Obi-Wan smirked and opened his eyes again. “Great. Let’s improvise then.”

Satine hummed. Quietly the two stepped out of the cell into the hallway. The floor felt cold under his bare foot. No guards were to be seen, but that didn’t mean they weren’t patrolling. “Let’s get going”, he whispered. The corridor was almost dead-silent except for Satines’ steps and the splash from Obi-Wans’ foot everytime he hopped forward. As they advanced through the sheer endless compound, he felt the exhaustion starting to set in. The pain in his knee was agonizing, as every step moved the broken bone. His shoulder was somewhat bearable but he knew the wound had started to bleed again and the shrapnel was moving inside. Obi-Wan bit his tongue and kept going. ‘I can rest when we leave this mess behind.’

Lost in his thought, he hadn’t really noticed that they had stopped walking. Satine was looking at him with concern, as if she was waiting for an answer. Obi-Wan tried to righten himself a little, taking his weight somewhat off her shoulders. “Sorry, did you say something?”

She clenched her teeth. “I was asking if you’re alright, but I think I already got my answer.  
Come on, I think we reached the production hall where I entered the shafts. We should find a way out from there. Just try not to pass out on me, I don’t think I’m strong enough to carry you.”

Obi-Wan merely nodded. As they stepped into the large room, he took in the sight of the huge machines. Taking a closer look on the conveyer belts, he recognized helmets and weapons. “Satine, what are they doing here? Building an army?”, he asked in disbelieve.

“I don’t know. All I know is, is that Vizsla leading them”, she whispered back.

Something in Obi-Wans’ mind still didn’t add up. ‘Who’s funding them? They surely don’t have enough funds to build this on their own.’

“What if they are in league with the separatists?”, he spoke his thought out loud, “I mean, they need someone to back them up.”

Satine contemplated his words. “You may be right, but I think it’s more important that we get of here. Fast.”

She gripped his arm tighter. As they reached the middle of the hall, Obi-Wan stopped dead in his tracks. Whipping his head into the general direction of their exit, he noticed a group of guards. They hadn’t seen them yet, but they would in a few seconds, if they didn’t hide right now.

Making a quick decision, he took his arm from Satine’s shoulders and grabbed her hand instead. Obi-Wan pulled her close, as he dived behind the closest machine. They stumbled rather ungraceful into the tight spot and he had to bit his tongue to prevent from crying out loud as Satine bumped into his swollen knee. Dark spots danced around his vision.

She hadn’t anticipated the sudden movement, so she almost let out a yelp as he pulled her with him behind the cover. In an instant his hand clamped over her mouth to keep her silent. “There are guards down the hall”, he whispered in her ear and removed it again.

Satine nodded in understanding and moved further into their hiding space. They waited till the guards had passed and left the hall again before they dared to move. She stood up first and pulled Obi-Wan up with her. He was wavering and his eyes seemed glazed over, but he kept his stance.

“Let’s get out”, he grunted, while gritting his teeth. They made their way to the back entrance and pushed the door open.

The Force was nudging at him again, but it was too late. As they stepped into the opening, they were met with blinding lights from several Death Watch soldiers. A figure moved forward, clapping its hands.

“Duchess Kryze, Master Kenobi, I see you made it to our little party.”

Satine and Obi-Wan shared a glance. “Vizsla.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn't really think our pair would just walk out of the back entrance without hindrance, didn't you? :D And come on, I can't let this arc end without giving Vizsla and the darksaber at least a little screen time.  
> Ideas or suggestions how this is all going down? Let me know what you think, I'm always happy to read comments :D


	8. Dusk before Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 8! I'm not enterily sure if I'm happy with this one. Anyway, enjoy reading!

**Chapter 8: Dusk before Dawn**

So much for their planned escape. Satine turned her eyes from Vizsla to Obi-Wan, who was still leaning on her, for a second. Despite being covered in sweat, he was shivering fiercely. ‘Maybe we should have looked for some clothes.’ The bandage around his shoulder was soaked through with blood and Satine could tell it was taking him a lot of strength to remain conscious. But nevertheless, he was holding up and was staring daggers into Vizsla.

The governor took a step towards the pair and spoke up again:

“For generations, the Mandalorians fought with pride against the jedi”, Vizsla pulled something from his belt, while advancing further, “but you, you dishonor our legacy with your pacifism.” He made a pause and grinned maniously, before lifting the hilt in his hand and speaking again. “This weapon was taken from the jedi temple decades ago. Many jedi have fallen through this blade”, he shot a glance at Obi-Wan, then his eyes returned to her, “and now it shall relinquish Mandalore to its old glory by ending your reign.”

With a roar, Vizsla activated the weapon and a black blade snapped to life. Not wasting a second, he threw himself at Satine.

It happened to fast for Satine’s eyes to follow properly. She felt Obi-Wan shift next to her as the black blade came soaring towards her. The next thing she saw was, that the jedi had pushed himself of her shoulders and had called his weapon from her sleeve into his hand. Vizsla and him were standing merely a few inches apart, black and blue blade interlocked between them. He had pushed her behind him in the process. She could see that he had put most of his weight on his left leg and was holding Vizsla miraculously at bay with only one hand on his weapon.

Clenching his teeth, Obi-Wan made Vizsla stumble backwards and then fly towards his troops with a Force push. Two guards caught the men and helped him stand up again.

She heard the clicking sound of blasters and saw that the rest of them took aim. Vizslas‘ hand stopped them. The governor had composed himself and was boiling with anger. “Stop. This is between me and him. Let that cripple defend her if he can”, he snarled.

Satines’ head snapped towards the jedi. “Obi-Wan, no! This is insane”, she hissed.

Her friend didn’t look at her, but growled with a deep voice: “Let him try. As long as I’m standing, he won’t lay a hand on you.”

\----

He knew that Satine was right. His strength was leaving him. In addition to the pain, the blood loss was starting to take its toll. Obi-Wan took an unsteady step towards his enemy, careful not to jostle his knee and shoulder further, and took his stance oppose to Vizsla. Thinking about it, he freed his left arm from his chest. The movement hurt like hell, but if he wanted to have a chance, he needed both of his arms free. Obi-Wan took a deep breath. ‘I haven’t done this in a long time.’

Not since his fight with Maul in the reactor room on Naboo.

He hadn’t been strong enough then.

But he had to be now, against all odds.

The jedi threw himself into the Force, his body becoming its vessel. Blue-grey eyes closed. His mind disconnected from the surrounding world, from his worn-down, physical presence and only focused on the target at hand.

Protecting Satine. Defeat Vizsla.

He could feel her presence behind him, a gleaming blue, strong beacon in the Force.

Before him was Vizsla. Red surrounded him, tainted with black streaks.

Lifting his lightsaber in the Soresu opening stance, he motioned for Vizsla to come at him. “Come now, governor, the cripple is waiting”, he mocked.

Fear flashed over Vizslas’ face for a second as he saw the jedi move like a possessed man. The previous weakness was gone and before him stood a battle-hardened warrior. “This is your downfall, jedi”, the governor snarled. He lunged again.

Obi-Wan smirked. He could read Vizsla like an open book.

High swing from the right. Followed by a kick towards the opponents’ knee.

Letting the man come close, Obi-Wan side-stepped just in time to avoid the attack. He was now standing behind the governor. Using the pummel of his lightsaber, he punched him in the back of his head.

Vizsla let out a pained cry and stumbled, but he regained his footing fast. He whirled around and swung again at Obi-Wan. The jedi dived low in response and made a grab for the governors’ forearm. Twisting it, Obi-Wan turned and pulled the arm over his shoulder. The elbow popped out of its socket with a satisfying crack, as the jedi yanked the arm down. The Death Watch leader roared in pain and furiously tried to stab Obi-Wan with the darksaber from behind.

The Force guided the jedis’ body again, so that he barely avoided the black blade.

The jedi parried the blade and the two kept exchanging blows. If one was to observe the fight in the Force, it would show two souls intertwined into a life-deciding dance. One bound by his believes and twisted by his ideology, the other rooted in his faith and torn by loss and hate.

Vizsla always stayed close to Obi-Wan, not giving him much space or openings. A few minutes later they found themselves in a saberlock. Their faces right in front of each other, Vizsla spoke up again. “You can’t keep this up forever, Kenobi. Sooner or later your mighty Force will leave you.”

Obi-Wan cracked a laugh and gave the governor a wicked smile. “See you in hell then, Vizsla.”

Dark grey eyes opened again. With force-enhanced power he drove him backwards, his lightsaber slamming down on the man with inhuman speed. There. An opening. The blue blade slipped past Vizslas’ defense, cutting into his left thigh.

Vizsla dropped the darksaber and crumbled to the ground in pain. Obi-Wan stepped forward and held his lightsaber under the mans’ chin. “Surrender.”

The governor huffed. “Never. Guards, finish them!”

Snapping his head to the side, Obi-Wan saw how five guards fired with their rocket launchers. Two were flying towards Satine, three in his direction.

He deactivated his lightsaber and used both of his hand to manipulate the projectiles. The process was incredibly exhausting and the jedi felt his grasp on the Force slipping. His head started to hurt and his nose started bleeding. Obi-Wan turned the rockets towards the rock formations and then let them go. The explosion shattered the rocks’ surface, making small boulders crumbling down.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Vizsla, supported by another guard, make his escape towards a speeder. Obi-Wan hadn’t enough strength left to stop them. The ringing in his head intensified and the Force finally left his body. His broken knee gave out beneath him and he fell with a pained gasp. But before he could hit the ground, he felt small hands grasp on his right arm. Concerned crystal-blue eyes were searching his gaze. “Obi? Come on, stand up. We have to get you out of here.” With surprising strength, only the desperate one could possess, she pulled him up and heaved his arm over her shoulders.

They somehow made the way over to Satines’ ship and Obi-Wan let himself flop down into the co-pilots seat. He was vaguely aware of Satine steering the vehicle, before the exhaustion finally claimed him.

later

The cold was gone and the pain had lessened. It was still present, but it had dulled down to a mere throbbing. As Obi-Wan woke up, he realized that his wounds had been treated. The knee was in a cast again. He groaned inwardly. ‘Not again.’ His left arm had been placed in a sling. The bacta patches on his collar bone and shoulder told him that they had removed the shrapnel pieces and set the bones. Carefully he propped himself up on his elbow and examined the room. He expected to be in some kind of medical facility again, but was surprised to see that apparently that was not the case. ‘These are someones’ private rooms.’

Looking around once more, he realized that he was laying on the right side of a double bed. The left side was empty, but unmade. Someone must have been here recently. Obi-Wan chuckled. Of course. He was in Satines’ quarters. ‘She must be already up and about. Typical.’ His gaze set on a pile of clothes on the edge of the bed. A plain white t-shirt and some light trousers. Realizing he was still just in his underwear, Obi-Wan grabbed the things. Putting on the trousers wasn’t much of a problem, but the t-shirt was another thing. He slowly removed the sling and let his arm flop into his lap. The rather small movement stung and Obi-Wan felt his shoulder muscles twitch. Keeping his arm as steady as possible, he maneuvered it through the sleeve before pulling the rest over his head. After he had readjusted the sling, he swung his legs over the bed side. His foot made contact with something made out of metal. Leaning forwards, he realized that his crutches had been placed beside the bed. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. ‘Someone must have gotten them from my ship.’ He took some time before he moved from the bed. The dizziness hadn’t faded completely and his muscles were stiff from laying still so long. ‘I won’t get any younger’, he thought while rubbing his hurting back. Grabbing one crutch with his right hand, he finally stood up and made his way out of the bedroom.

As he stepped into the spacious living area, Obi-Wan still couldn’t see a single soul.

“Satine?”, he called out with a raspy voice. Surprised by his hoarseness, he cleared his throat. ‘I must have been out for some time.’

A clattering sound could be heard from the refresher unit. Someone was moving around hectically before the door finally swooshed upon. Satine stepped out, dressed in a simple blue top and some short pants, her hair was kept together in a loose bun. Apparently, she had just woken up herself.

Obi-Wan was amused by the picture before him. “Did I disturb you?”, he asked with a smile.

Satine was still staring at him like she had seen a ghost. After a few seconds she gathered her wits and quickly made her way over to Obi-Wan, throwing her arms around him. As she leaned her forehead against his chest, it was like a wall broke between them. Satine closed her eyes and started sobbing.

Obi-Wans' smile was swept from his face. He let his crutch drop to the floor and laid his arm around Satine, his hand cradling the scape of her neck. Leaning down, he let his chin connect with the top of her head softly. Still confused by her sudden outburst, he tried to soothe her with a calming voice. “Hey, it's okay. I'm here", he whispered.

The arms around him tightened for a moment, drawing a grunt from him as the pressure against his shoulder build up uncomfortable. Then she pushed back, her eyes were wide-open and filled with tears.

“Never scare me like that again”, she hissed, her voice cracking.

Obi-Wans’ mouth went dry as he was met with her piercing gaze. He tried to reach out to her but she took another step back. “Satine, I’m sorry”, he tried. Fear was starting to grip his heart. ‘I can’t lose her. Not again.’

She shook her head, mouth pressed into a thin line. “You’re sorry? Obi-Wan, I thought you were dying! You’ve been out for four weeks and you spent three of them in an artificial coma”, her voice withdrew to a whisper, “as the medics tried to pull you back, you didn’t show a sign of waking up. So, two days ago, I let them bring you here as you were physically stable.”

Averting her gaze, she gave a broken laugh. “All I had to hold on was, that this mysterious Force of yours was keeping you from me. But I saw what you did while facing Vizsla. Do you have any idea, how hard it is, to believe in something you can’t comprehend?”

The jedi took an unsteady step towards her. His eyes were glistening with tears. “What do you want me to say, Satine? All I did, was trying to protect you.”

“So, what if you died there?”, she snapped, “I can’t lose you… I need you, Obi-Wan.”

It was then that he finally closed the distance between them and Satine wasn’t backing off again. He hugged her again tightly while speaking with a low voice.

“I won’t make promises I cannot keep… But let me tell you one thing”, he tilted his head so that their eyes met, his hand brushing one of her blonde locks from her face, “I will always love you, Satine and I’ll be there when you need me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Force is a powerful ally in someones most desperate moments and there's finally a light on the horizon for Obi-Wan and Satine :D Well, as long as I let them ...   
> I promise, things will settle down in the next chapter and we'll also see Anakin and Ahsoka again.  
> Let me know what you think and thanks for reading, as always :D  
> Oh, and btw chapter 9 is going to be a few days late, so sorry for the delay in advance!


	9. Brothers' Keeper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 9! Enjoy reading :)

**Chapter 9: Brothers’ Keeper**

“I’m taking my leave.”

Obi-Wan had called in a meeting with the council to give his short debrief on the mission on Mandalore, two days after he had woken up from his coma. Only six members were present, he himself as a hologram. He hadn’t bothered trying to stand with his casted leg and was sitting in one of the arm chairs in Satines’ quarters, leg propped up on the table and arm still held in the sling. His expression was non-readable, the mask of an experienced jedi master.

“Now is barely the time to make such demands, Kenobi. We need every jedi available, especially you”, Master Windu stated coolly, leaning forward in his seat while holding Obi-wans’ gaze.

‘Of course, he does object.’ If Obi-Wan hadn’t had a single ounce of respect for the Korun Master, he would have rolled his eyes in response. Nevertheless, he didn’t hold back his witty remark.

“Master Windu, I don’t know if you have noticed”, he shifted his leg in the camera, “but I can’t even stand properly at the moment. I don’t see how I am helpful on the frontlines. Moreover, every jedi is allowed to take a certain amount of leave and as far as I remember I hadn’t had none since the war started.”

This time Master Yoda spoke up. “Knight Skywalker and his padawan made the same request they have. Difficult it is to spare all three of you.”

Puzzled, Obi-Wan had to raise an eyebrow. ‘Why are those two taking their leave all of a sudden?’ “I believe as well the men of the 501st as of the 212th are capable of leading a campaign themselves if needed, Captain Rex and Commander Cody are exceptional soldiers and strategists.”

“I think Obi-Wan is right, the three of them have done so much during these times. It’s only fair to grand them their request”, Plo Koon, a good friend of his, contributed.

Obi-Wan smiled at him and mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ which was acknowledged with a small nod.

The green, diminutive master hummed in thought, before deciding with a tap of his gimer stick.

“Granted your wishes are. Taking your leave, you may.”

“Thank you, Master Yoda.” The meeting was closed a few seconds later and Obi-Wan finally leaned back in his seat. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he rubbed his eyes with his right hand.

“How did they take it?” The jedis’ head snapped up. He absolutely hadn’t heard Satines’ approach, tired as he was.

“If you want to scare me to death, just sneak up on me again”, he grumbled while he eyed her from the side. The blonde woman chuckled and stepped up behind him, laying her hands over his chest.

“You know, scaring jedi masters to death would be a fine addition to my abilities, don’t you think?”

Obi-Wan laughed and turned slightly to face her, sporting a grin. “How about you start with Master Windu?”

Satine snorted. “Let me guess, he didn’t want you to take your vacation.”

He hummed in response, his hand stroking the back of Satines’ forearm. “I think he's just not over the fact that I beat him in a spar a few months ago and he's no longer the undefeated champion.”

“And here I thought jedi were supposed to stand above such things”, she murmured with a chuckle.

Obi-Wan shook his head amused but then turned his attention back to Satine. “Why are you even here? I thought you had work to do.”

“Well, actually there is something I wanted to tell you”, she said, her chin resting on the top of his head.

“So?”, he quirked an eyebrow confused.

“I have to prove Mandalores’ neutrality in front of the senate, so I asked someone for help to support my case.”

As the gears began to spin slowly in Obi-Wans’ head, it took him a moment before it dawned on him. “You asked Senator Amidala for help and Anakin decided to tag along together with Ahsoka, right?” He knew that Satine had updated Padme on their situation and that Anakin knew as well.

“I see at least your head wasn’t damaged, old man”, she said teasingly. Satine took her hands off him and walked towards the kitchen to make some tea.

“Hey, are you mocking me?”, he called after her, pretending to be offended. Obi-Wan could basically hear her laughing quietly from the other room. ‘I swear, you will get that back.’

As his plan began to form inside of his head, Satine returned from the kitchen with two cups of tea.

She placed both of them on the table and sat down next to him. “So, when do they plan to arrive?”, the jedi asked.

Satine hummed and grabbed her commlink which laid on the table. “I don’t know actually, Padme wanted to send a message when they lift off.” Obi-Wan sensed his chance when she tried to enter the pin code to unlock the device. With a small nudge of the Force, he altered the code Satine tried to tap in. Soon confusion was written all over her face, as the commlink reported a false code input for the fifth time in a row.

Playing innocent, Obi-Wan asked: “What’s wrong? Did you forget your code?”

With a furrowed brow, she shook her head. “I’m pretty sure it should be correct.”

Sipping on his tea, the jedi had a hard time to uphold his stoic face. “You know, forgetting small things is the first sign of getting old.”

The glare, she was sending him, was almost enough for him to sputter out his tea with laughter and drop the façade, but he kept himself together. ‘She’s definitely smelling the rat, but don’t give up yet.’

“Obi, do you have something to do with this?”, she asked wielding the commlink in front of his face.

“Me? Never. Jedi frown on such frivolous acts”, he said with a poker face. “Why don’t you try it again?”

As she tried for the sixth time, the commlink still denied her access. “Okay, drop it. You had your fun. I know you’re doing something.”

“An old man like me? Please”, he exaggerated.

“Obi-Wan.”

“Satine.” They both glowered at each other in a humored manner, before she finally gave in.

“Okay, I get it. I’ll take it back. You’re not that old. Would you please let me unlock my commlink now?”

Obi-Wan laughed and let her do it, until she spoke up again, chuckling. “You’re still turning grey, darling.”

“That’s it, next time I’m changing the code for good.”

Satine huffed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Care to find out?”, he asked with a raised eyebrow.

\----

_six hours later_

It was nearly evening when their ship finally touched down on the private landing pad near the Sundari palace. Of course, he had insisted to fly himself, although his padawan made him promise to actually land the ship and not crash it like they did so many times before on missions.

As Anakin stretched in the pilots’ seat after the long flight, he could already hear Ahsoka talking to Padme with excitement. The girl had never been to Mandalore before and was bubbling up with anticipation to finally see her grandmaster again and getting to know duchess Satine. He himself had also never been to Mandalore before but knew that Padme and Satine were good friends. From what he knew from Padme, she seemed to be a really nice and he couldn’t deny that he wasn’t curious to meet the woman who managed to worm herself into his masters’ otherwise so well-guarded heart.

Shutting the last systems down, he stood up and started to leave the cockpit. On his way to the door he patted R2, who had observed the machines from the back during the flight, on his dome. “Watch the ship for us, will you buddy?” He was rewarded with the droid whistling a positive answer.

Ahsoka and Padme were already waiting on the ramp, so he quickened his pace to catch up with them. Outside he was met with the beautiful sight of the palace. Its colored glass was glistening in the evening sun, making it appear like one of the fictional places parents used to tell their kids about.

“Master look!” Anakin, was ripped out of his thoughts by Ahsoka, who was motioning at something at the end of the landing bay. Following the direction, he realized that two figures where standing over there, one he recognized instantly as his master and the other presumably being the duchess. Padme had told him that his master had a nasty run-in with the Death Watch and barely made it out alive thanks to Satine.

“You okay, Ani?” His wife was standing a few feet in front of him, shooting him a questioning look.

“Uhh, yes of course… I just drifted off for a second. Let’s get going.” He stepped forward and offered her his hand which she gladly accepted.

While the trio approached the waiting pair, Anakin finally got a closer look at the two. Like all three of them they had decided against formal dress ups as they were meeting in private.

Especially Obi-Wan looked worse for wear, his left arm was in a sling as a result of being hit with a bullet from a scattergun and his right leg was casted again. He was leaning on a crutch, but it was obvious that he was tiring down fast. ’Hopefully he gets some rest now.’

They all greeted each other, Ahsoka engulfing Obi-Wan in a bear-hug. He knew the movement must have hurt him but he didn’t say anything for the sake of his grandpadawan. As the others went into the apartment, Anakin stayed behind together with his former master. Having not greeted him properly till now, he hugged the man in front of him with one arm, mindful not to jostle his arm or leg.

“It’s good to see you’re still standing, old man.”

Obi-Wan snorted in response and laughed. “Why is it everyone is calling me old today, all of a sudden? And it’s good to see you too.”

Anakin withdrew a little and eyed his friend. “I can’t believe she called you old”, he chuckled, “anyway, how are you?”

The auburn-haired jedi pressed his lips into a thin line. “I’ve been better to be honest. I don’t think I would have survived if it weren’t for Satine.”

“She really is an admirable woman. You should ask her, Obi-Wan. You don’t know if you will regret it one day if you don’t do it”, Anakin said knowingly.

Obi-Wan bit the inside of his lips and averted his gaze. “I don’t know, Anakin. What would you do if you were to choose between the order and Padme?”

“I would choose my family.”

“What do you mean?”, Obi-Wan asked confused.

“My family”, Anakin repeated, “the people I care about. You, Ahsoka, Padme…”

“I see. But something still doesn’t add up for me. Why didn’t you tell me in the first place?”, the jedi master looked at his former padawan again.

“Tell you what?”

“Your marriage, Anakin. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I didn’t think you would understand. You always preached the jedi code.”

“That’s what I was supposed to do. The jedi council wouldn’t have let me train you otherwise. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t confide in me.”

“I just…”, Anakins shoulders slumped, “I don’t know why I did it, Obi-Wan. It bothered me for a long time.”

His master nodded in thought. “It’s okay. Just promise me, no more secrets between us?”

Anakin hesitated for a moment before he answered. “I promise.”

“Thanks, Anakin.”

Before they regrouped with the others, he stopped his friend again.

“Obi-Wan, you also have to promise me one thing”, he said with a grin.

“What?”, the man in question asked with a raised eyebrow.

“If you’re asking her… I’m going to be your best man.”

Obi-Wan let out a laugh. “We see about that, padawan mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Obi-Wan do it? :D What do you think about this one? Leave a comment as always! Thanks for reading ;)


	10. Sic Parvis Magna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes chapter 10! Thanks for all the comments:)

**Chapter 10 – Sic Parvis Magna**

Anakin and him silently slipped into the apartment where the woman, except for Ahsoka, were already completely busy with the speech for the senate. “Ever the politicians, huh?”, he heard his former padawan grumble next to him.

Obi-Wan hummed. “What would you do if it were your planet on the line?”

“Fair point”, Anakin looked at him, “I don't think we're any help here, to be honest. How about you show me and Ahsoka around? On the way you could tell us what happened here.” Having said that, he eyed his injuries for a second.

“Why not, but I don't think I can walk any longer or my arm will fall off.” The jedi master adjusted his grip on the crutch again, one could already see the red marks forming in his palms. “I can show you around tomorrow, if you'd like. Right now, I want to sit down first. We can go onto the balcony and I'll tell the two of you what happened.” He motioned to a glass door near the kitchen.

“Sure, I’ll go and fetch Ahsoka.”

Obi-Wan nodded and slowly made his way over to the door. Opening it, he stepped outside onto the small platform. The evening sun shone on his face; the warmth was tickling in his skin. Despite being a city, Sundari was rather quiet at this time. The jedi master took a seat on the bench which was placed on the side of the balcony and stretched out his legs. Both of them were hurting more or less after the long walk. Massaging his unbandaged knee, Obi-Wan studied the plants surrounding him until his eyes locked on one in particular. A sapir plant. ‘Qui-Gons favorite’, he thought with remorse. He still remembered how his master had taught him to brew his favorite tea. ‘Never use too much of the sapir leaves, it will get bitter, padawan.’ Obi-Wan had tried to pass his tea-knowledge on to Anakin, but all the boy managed to produce was more resembling some kind of bitter paste than a tea. His padawan had never shown a big interest in tea anyway. Ahsoka on the other hand actually managed to produce a passable tea, so he had still hope that at least one of their line age might carry on the tea tradition. Obi-Wan smiled to himself, Anakins’ and Ahsokas’ relationship was really admirable. Despite their unusual start, they had grown close over the time. ‘I hope Anakin does a better job at understanding his padawan than I did.’

As if on cue, both stepped out on the balcony. “Ah, there you are. I already started to think you would let me wait until it gets dark”, he said with a chuckle.

“Come on, Master Kenobi. We would never let you wait on purpose”, Ahsoka smiled, “so, are you going to tell us what happened now?” The Tortuga sat down next to him on the bench, folding her legs. Anakin just leaned on the railing with his back, propping himself up on his elbows.

“Well, where do I start…”, Obi-Wan leaned back against the wall, looking into the sky. Deciding against mentioning his dispute with Satine, he began with the parks’ bombing. Over the next minutes he retold the events, from the bombing, to the shooting with the Death Watch member, his capture and finally his duel with Vizsla.

After he finished, Anakin and Ahsoka were staring at him with wide eyes. “What are you going to do about the Death Watch?”, the girl asked quietly.

The jedi master merely shrugged. “I don’t know, if my guess is right, then this is going way deeper than just this organization.”

“What do you mean?”, Anakin asked confused, crossing his arms over his chest.

“We found some signs that hinted to an involvement of the separatists. Most likely Dooku.”

“Blast!”, both his companions exclaimed.

Obi-Wan gave a small smile and chided, not meant seriously: ”Language, padawans.” He then leaned forward a little and eyed his friends. “I think all we can do is hope for the best with the senate and that the republic can somehow support Mandalore with maintaining its neutrality.”

Anakin hummed in thought. “Do you think that Satine will allow a republic involvement?”

“I don’t know, Anakin. But I think she knows that there isn’t much of an option.”

They fell in silence for a while after that until Ahsoka piped up. “Can I ask you a question, Master Kenobi?”

“Sure, Ahsoka.”

“If I might ask… what’s the story between you and the duchess? How’d you meet her?”

Obi-Wan suppressed a laugh and rubbed his eyes. “I was afraid one of you would ask this question one day. It’s a rather long story to be honest.”

“Please, master. We’re curious and we’ve got nothing else to do right now”, Anakin chimed in, grinning over both ears.

“You’re both insufferable”, the jedi master grumbled, “but as you wish… it all began with a mission on Mandalore I had with Master Qui-Gon.”

_about twenty years in the past_

‘Almost a year on the run’, he thought, ‘this is insane.’

“Master, they’re closing in!”, the young padawan shouted while deflecting the blaster bolts aimed at him and the duchess behind him. They’ve been running from the bounty hunters for days now. As the exhaustion slowly started to set in, the trio had been caught up by their pursuers in the midst of the forest.

‘Obi-Wan, take the duchess and run. I’ll lure them away from you.’ Came the strong suggestion from his master over their training bond.

‘I won’t leave you behind, master.’

‘That’s an order, padawan. Now go!’ Obi-Wan scowled but did as he was told. Gripping Satine by her wrist, they bolted through the forest, jumping over branches and gaps. Throwing a look over his shoulder, he could see his masters’ green blade moving further away. They were on their own now. ‘May the Force be with you, master’, he sent over their bond.

Obi-Wan received no answer. Their bond was closed off from Qui-Gons’ side.

They kept on running for a long time, before he felt the duchess pulling them to a halt. “Padawan Kenobi, wait”, she panted.

The jedi stopped and turned around to face her. “I’m sorry, duchess. I just wanted to get you to safety”, he said apologetic.

“It’s okay. I just…”, she tried to catch her breath, “…need a break.”

She was right. A glance to the sky told Obi-Wan that the sun had already begun to set. “Let’s find shelter for the night then.” Silently they trudged forward until the padawan spotted a small cave about one and a half klicks away from them. “Duchess, maybe we can find cover over there.”

The blonde merely nodded. “Lead the way.”

After a few minutes they reached their destined hideout. Collecting a few dry branches on their way, Obi-Wan managed to get a small fire going. Both teenagers sat down around their small heat source in silence, trying to get rid off the cold which was gnawing at their bones. Rubbing his hands together, the jedi noticed that the girl in front off him was still shivering fiercely. Not thinking about it twice, he shrugged off his robe and held it out to her.

“Here. For the cold”, he said.

She hesitated for a moment, but then took the cloth from his hands and pulled it around her shoulders. “Thanks, padawan Kenobi.”

“Obi-Wan.”

“Hm?”, the duchess raised an eyebrow at him.

“I rather have you calling me by my name than my title”, he admitted.

“Uhh, sure… Obi-Wan. You may as well call me Satine then.”

The padawan nodded and his gaze lingered again on the small flames in front of him. Somehow Satines’ presence always made it difficult for him to find his center. Both teenagers would never admit it in front of the other, but they’ve somehow grown close over the time.

Obi-Wan decided to meditate to calm his mind. Shifting, he took a cross-legged position and closed his eyes. As he stretched out with his senses in the Force, he felt eyes on him. Squeezing one open, he saw that Satine was observing him. “What is it, Satine?”, he asked, slightly amused.

“Nothing…”, she said, as if she were a little unsure about what to say, “I was just wondering how you do it.”

“Do what?” Confusion was written over his face.

“Meditation. You seem so calm when you do it.”

“Oh…of course. Actually, I can show you…if you’d like to try. You don’t need to be Force sensitive to do it.”

Satine hesitated shortly, but then agreed. Motioning for her to resemble his position, they found themselves sitting cross-legged on opposite sides of the fire, their eyes closed.

“Try to calm your breathing now, Satine”, Obi-Wan guided. Using the Force, he felt how she struggled to gain some kind of steadiness. Stretching out his presence in the Force, he carefully poked against the girls’ mind. He heard her gasp shortly. “Don’t worry. That’s me, let me help you to calm down.”

The second their minds connected both teenagers instantly felt at ease. The time passed and as they resurfaced from the meditation, they realized that about three hours must have passed. The moon was already high up and their fire had died down to a small pile of ember. 

Satine yawned. “Maybe we both should catch some sleep now.”

“I guess you’re right”, the padawan said and began to stretch out on the floor.

As he stared to the ceiling, he thought about what had just happened. A Force bond. Even though Satine wasn’t Force sensitive and she would never know about it if he didn’t tell her, a bond had snapped to life as they meditated together. The jedi didn’t allow attachment. It was frowned upon. What would happen if his master found out? Would he turn him down again? ‘What have I done…?’, he thought, fear gripping on him. Obi-Wan turned his head again and observed Satine, who had already fallen asleep. ‘At least she found her peace of mind for now.’

_present time_

“Did you tell her?”, Anakin queried, curiosity lacing his voice. Obi-Wan had finished his story a few seconds ago.

“I couldn’t”, the jedi master answered shortly, “I didn’t know how to explain. And I thought it was easier for her that way to go on when we had to separate. Qui-Gon didn’t know either, but he suspected that much. I told her only many years later.”

“Do you regret not leaving the order for her?”, his grandpadawan asked quietly.

“No.”

“Why not?” It was clear, that Anakin was completely puzzled.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and smiled. “Because it would have meant leaving you, Anakin. And I wouldn’t abandon an innocent child because of a future I might have.”

“You chose me over her?”

“I did.” The jedi master let his gaze linger between Anakin and Ahsoka. “But now I have both. And I got to see you and my grandpadawan grow up, that’s more than most people could ask for.”

“So”, Anakin shifted from his spot on the railing. “Did you come to a decision? Concerning your relationship?”

Obi-Wan chuckled. “You know, padawan, there’s an old saying: Curiosity killed the cat. And that means for you that I won’t tell you for now.”

His former padawan smirked. “That means you made your decision.”

“What decision?”, Ahsoka chimed in, completely left out of their discussion.

Her master was grinning broadly now. “Believe it or not, Snips, your grandmaster is going to marry Satine sooner or later.”

Ahsoka couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed and was now staring at Obi-Wan flabbergasted.

The jedi master just shook his head with amusement. “The emphasis is on sooner or later, padawans.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of you who were wondering about this chapters' title: It's latin for Greatness from small Beginnings and it's taken from the video game series Uncharted. One of my favorites :D (Just finished part 4)  
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!
> 
> By the way, you can also find me on fanfiction.net under the Username Liz4rd, I'm currently posting this story there as well, so if you want to send me a message or a suggestion there, feel free!


	11. Dying Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild Chapter 11 appears! Just finished this one, so have fun reading!

**Chapter 11 – Dying Light**

It took them about a week to come up with a passable plan for the senate. Now it was time to take her stand in defending Mandalore.   
Satine and the others were boarding the small ship that would take them to Coruscant. She wasn’t that type of a person that would get nervous easily, the years ruling her home world had taught her to be self-conscious und steadfast. But despite all this, the duchess found no comfort in this situation. She didn’t know if she would be able to succeed or lose Mandalore to the Death Watch. The blonde woman squeezed her eyes shut and balled her fists; she wouldn’t back down easy, she swore to herself. 

“You got this, Satine”, a crisp voice with a coruscanti accent startled her, “we’ve got enough evidence to prove Death Watchs’ involvement in this and with your rhetorical skills they won’t have any other choice than to support you.”

Sighing, she turned around to face her jedi. He was leaning slightly against the wall to support himself. The paleness on his face indicated to her that he was still struggling with weakness and exhaustion, even though his injuries had suffently healed enough to remove the sling and cast. The hospital had provided Obi-Wan with a similar brace for his knee like the temple healers had made for him. Still she saw the tremble in his left arm when he tried to lift things up or the pained grimaces every time he took a step without his crutches. And yet he stood before her, worried about her.

Satine smiled. “Thanks, Obi-Wan. I hope you're right.” Sometimes she forgot that there was a bond between them, telling him what was going on inside her head. At times she wished that she could do the same on his side. He had opened up to her a lot over the past but she could see that he wasn't telling her everything. The jedi had quietened a little in the past week as if something was bothering him or he was completely lost in thought.

She was about to ask him about it, as their ship was violently jerked out of hyperspace. Both managed to stay on their feet just barely and without having second thoughts, Satine and Obi-Wan bolted for the cockpit.

As they reached it, Anakin and Ahsoka were already fiddling with the controls of the ship. Obi-Wan stepped behind his former padawans’ seat and held onto the back of the chair.

“Anakin, what's going on?”, he queried.

“Someone pulled us out of hyperspace as you may have noticed", came the quipped answer. He tried one last time to regain the control but to no avail. Anakin cursed and punched the steering wheel with his mechanical hand.

The ship was shaken again and with a wail the ships engines came to a stop. With a groan the transports' hull began to bend slightly due to an outward force. As the floor beneath their feet began to tilt, they saw what had caught them at last. A providence-class destroyer.

All three jedi tensed up as the giant came into view. “Is this the ship I think it is?”, Ahsoka whispered.

Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a knowing look. They both new this destroyer and more likely who directed it.

The jedi master swallowed and answered silently: “I think this confirms my suspicion…", he pointed at the ship in front of their view port, “Dooku's with the Death Watch and he was one step ahead of us.”

Silence settled over the small ship as they slowly started to drift backwards towards the destroyers' hangars. They were being pulled in by a tractor beam.

“Do we have a plan?”, Padme asked after a few seconds.

Four eye pairs locked on the jedi master, whose fingers had tightened around the seat. His jaw was clenched and he seemed to stare at a spot somewhere in front of him.

Satine took a step towards him and cautiously laid a hand on his shoulder. “Obi-Wan?”

This time his head snapped up and he let his gaze sweep over his companions. He shrugged and straightened a little. “We shall see what he wants, maybe I can talk to him.”

“You want to negotiate with Dooku?”, Anakin asked irritated.

“I’m open for other suggestions.” Obi-Wans’ eyes bore into his friend, narrowing a little. “I think things are going to escalate soon enough, so the more time we can buy the better.”

Their ship slowly came to a halt in the hangar, battle droids and magna guards were lining the sides. A dark figure stood at the end of the large room, flanked by more magna guards.

They all left the small cockpit and headed for the loading ramp. “Let’s face the party”, Anakin grumbled and pushed the release button to open the ship. With a swoosh the platform descended.

Obi-Wan and Anakin went down first, while the jedi master hung behind a little to avoid falling due to his injured leg. Ahsoka, Padme and Satine trailed behind them, observing the droids.

As soon as they left their ship, they heard the unmistakable clicking of blasters being unlocked. Dooku was advancing at a slow pace, holding an air of authority. He came to a halt a few meters in front of them.

“General Kenobi, still on your feet as I see.”

“You have to do better than that if you want to get rid of me, Dooku”, the jedi in question answered with a clipped voice, “so, I think we’re not here to have a tea party, I presume?”

The Count chuckled. “Ever the negotiator. But yes, you’re right”, his demeanor darkened, “you and your companions are here to surrender and hand over Mandalore.”

“Never.” Satine had pushed past the two jedi and was now facing the separatist leader.

“Satine, don’t.” Obi-Wan hissed silently in her direction.

“He’s threatening my planet and people, Obi-Wan. This is my fight as well as it is yours.”

Dooku took another step forward. “Duchess Satine Kryze, the pacifist leader. You’ve got quite the reputation.” Behind her the three jedi immediately tensed up as the Force filled with an overwhelming darkness. Their hands hovered above their lightsabers, ready to fight in an instant. Ahsoka pushed herself closer to Padme, trying to shield her from incoming dangers.

“I wouldn’t bother with your weapons, jedi. You won’t stand a chance against my army here.”

Anakin huffed. “You’d be surprised, Dooku.”

‘Anakin.’ Obi-Wan was nudging at him through their training bond.

‘What? You know I’m right’, he quipped.

‘For Force sake, that’s not what I meant. Look.’ Practically rolling his eyes inwardly, Obi-Wan pointed at the ceilings’ structure with the Force.

Anakin smirked, as his masters’ idea dawned on him. ‘I like your thinking, master.’

If they were to loosen the metal plates on the hangars’ ceiling, burying the droids underneath them, they would still have to deal with Dooku, his guards and their escape.

‘What about Dooku?’

‘We’ll keep him busy. You think Ahsoka can get the ship running again?’

Having listened to the conversation through her bond, Ahsoka chimed in. ‘You can count on me, masters.’

‘Good’, Obi-Wan said, ‘then let’s go’.

Both master and former padawan called upon the Force. Using their hands, they concentrated on the small buttresses, crushing them in a swift motion to let the ceiling crumble down on the droids.

Crack. The destroyer rocketed as the structure came apart. As the dust begun to set, the jedi used the moment of distraction to take action. Obi-Wan pulled out his lightsaber and pushed Satine towards the ship. “Go, help Ahsoka and Padme.” Blue eyes were staring daggers into him and she clearly was angry at him for risking his life again. Nevertheless, she listened to him and stormed back towards the ship.

Centering himself, Obi-Wan took his stance oppose of Dooku and the magna guards together with Anakin.

The Dark Side became almost suffocating. “You won’t get away this time.” The red lightsaber activated and Dooku attacked, left hand behind his back.

The jedi moved in tandem, Anakin pressing down on his enemy with aggressive swings while Obi-Wan was on the defensive side, cutting down the magna guards. Despite his injury the jedi master moved almost flawless for the observing eye, making quick action with the droids. But he knew that Dooku had caught onto his weakness, as he felt an extern pressure start to build up on his bones.

‘He’s crushing me.’

Using the Force, he fought back against the oppressing energy. It was tiring and the jedi master felt his concentration slip. The passive attack seemed almost effortless for Dooku, as he was still keeping up with both jedi without breaking a sweat.

Anakin swung high, forcing Dooku to dive beneath the attack. As he slipped past the blue blade, he twisted around midair and let his sword come down on the jedis’ now exposed back. Obi-Wan blocked the swing mere inches from his padawans spine, giving Anakin just enough time to jump away.

The Siths’ ember eyes locked onto Obi-Wans’ grey-blue ones. “I should have ended you both back on Geonosis”, he growled, pushing the jedi further back with his lightsaber. The pressure was building further up. They needed to get an opening if they wanted to succeed. Obi-Wan shot a quick glance at Anakin, who was preparing for another attack. Behind him the ships’ engine came to life with a roar. ‘Now or never.’

The jedi master let his defense in the Force drop and pushed his remaining strength into his friends’ attack. The second Dookus’ attack barreled free through him; it felt all the light was swept away from him. He went down with a scream as he felt his tendons and bones twist underneath the attack. Another push sent him flying and he made contact with the hard ground about fifteen meters away from the fight.

\----

He was the Chosen One. He could do this. Anakin saw how Obi-Wan had stopped Dookus’ attack to slice through his back. His master wasn’t looking good, he was almost deathly pale. ‘He’s being attacked through the Force’, he realized. Using his bought time, the knight gathered his strength to get the Sith away from Obi-Wan. He swung his lightsaber in a low arc from behind, putting as much strength behind the swing as he could. As he moved, he felt a sudden energy burst flow through him.

Obi-Wan.

He didn’t dare to look back, but he knew that his master had dropped his defense to support his advance. The scream that followed confirmed his thoughts. With a cry, Anakin let his lightsaber bore down on the Sith. Of course, Dooku met the blade with surprising grace such as an old man could possess. Still the sudden power outburst had put the man off-guard for a second. Blue and red blade cracking between them, the Count suddenly began to grin wickedly. “You won’t win, Skywalker. You still haven’t learned a thing since we met last. Let’s give you another reminder of your place.”

Their lightsabers still interlocked; Anakin didn’t manage to dodge the force lightening. As the energy hit his body, the jedi felt his skin burn and muscles twitch in agony. The lightsaber clattered to the ground with the sound of finality. His mechanical hand short circuited, the wires melting inside his stump. As he laid twisting and smoking on the ground, Anakin sent one last message to his padawan.

‘Ahsoka, go. NOW!’, he pressed through their force bond, trying to blend out his pain. He felt his padawan recoil in an instant, but he knew his words had hit home. Before he finally succumbed to the force lightening, he saw the ship take off and bolt out off the hangar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said there's always darkness looming around the corner.  
> Let's see how our jedi get out off this... if they survive, I mean (grins evily :D)  
> Let me know what you think ;)


	12. Until The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100 kudos! Thank you so much! It makes me really happy that people are reading this story :) So thanks for everything, every comment, every kudos!
> 
> Here comes chapter 12, enjoy!

**Chapter 12 – Until The End**

Heart thumping in her chest, Ahsoka steered their vehicle as fast as she could away from the star destroyer. She couldn't sense them. It felt like both her masters had vanished in the force. Calling out to them had let to no response. Fear and despair weren't emotions that should get the better of a jedi, but right now the padawan only knew one thing. She was frightened to death. She might never see her master or grandmaster ever again.

Gripping the controls tighter, Ahsoka tried to calm herself. Still dwelling on her thoughts, she at first didn't notice the gentle hand that landed on her shoulder. Twisting in her seat, she saw that Satine had crouched down and was looking at her with sympathy. Ahsoka had only known Satine for a short time, but she really started to like her. Like her grandmaster, the woman in front of her was passionate and strong in her beliefs.

“I left them”, the padawan whispered, “I- I just left them to die.”

Satine gave a small, sad smile. “No, you didn’t, Ahsoka. I’ve known Obi-Wan for a long time now and if there is one thing I learned… “, she shook her head and huffed,” ...that this stubborn gundark doesn’t die easy. And if your master is even half as persistent as him, I believe they will somehow pull through.”

Ahsoka pressed her lips into a thin line. “They’re such idiots”, she mumbled.

“That’s an understatement, ‘Soka”, Padme said exhausted, joining their conversation. The brunette leaned slightly over the pilots’ chair, her eyes mirroring the same worry like in Satines’ and Ahsokas’. “We need help, we can't get them out on our own.”

The Tortuga turned her attention back to the controls and the navi computer where she had set their destination on. “It's best if the two of you proceed with the senate. I'm going to get backup from the jedi and the GAR.”

“You just expect us to back off? No way, Ahsoka”, Satine exclaimed shocked.

“If you don't, then their sacrifice might go to waste, Satine. They still can take Mandalore, if you step down now.”

The Duchess was about to protest, but Padme stopped her with a calm voice. “She's right, Satine. I don't like leaving my husband behind either, but we will do more good if we settle things with the senate.”

Satine closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Letting out a breath, she nodded. “Okay. I hope this is the right decision.” She searched her companions’ gazes, finding determination with Ahsoka and hope together with a hint of nervousness with Padme. The pacifist leader turned to her fellow senator. “You okay, Padme?”

The Naboo seemed lost in thought, her fingers twitching a little. It took her a moment to see that both Satine and Ahoska were looking at her. “What? No, I- I need to tell you something.”

As Ahsoka stretched out with the Force, she could already tell what was bothering Padme. ‘How come we haven't noticed before.’ She refrained from telling her suspicion beforehand and let the senator speak.

“I'm pregnant", Padme blurted out. Satines' eyes widened but then softened immediately. “He doesn't know, doesn't he?”, the blonde guessed.

“No.” Came the short answer. They sat in silence for a while before Ahsoka spoke up again.

“We'll get both of them back. I promise.” And if that would be the last thing she did, the padawan promised to herself. Anakin would be the childs' father. Obi-Wan would finally ask Satine. She would become a jedi knight. They would stand through this all, together. As a family.

The rest of the flight felt like an eternity for the trio. As they finally landed on the platform near Padmes’ apartment in 500 Republica, it was already well past midnight. They would have to wait till morning for the senate, but for Ahsoka there was no time to lose. She had to get back to the jedi temple. Inform the council. Get help.

“Do you want us to come with you?”, Satine asked as they exited the ship.

The padawan shook her head. “No, it will be easier for me to get inside the temple alone. I would have to get clearance for both of you first. I’ll inform you if anything changes. Focus on the senate.”

Having said that, she didn't wait for an answer. Ahsoka dashed forward, zipping through the night. Using her athletic skill, the Tortuga vaulted over the rooftops, sometimes jumping on local transports to get closer to the temple. After a while it started raining heavily, the streets started to fill with water. As the girl waded through the crowded and slippery streets of Coruscant, it felt like the Force itself was crying. The emptiness and silence started to get to the padawan. She was sure they weren't dead, her training bond with Anakin was still intact. Her bond with her grandmaster wasn't as strong but she would feel it if he died. The jedi master once descripted to her how it felt when a bond snapped under violent circumstances.

‘It hurts, Ahsoka. Like something burns deep into your mind, leaving a mangled mess behind. It's blinding. The emotional backlash you feel…’, he had shook his head in thought then, ‘I don't know how to describe it, Little One. Something is ripped out of you and it will never return. The wound never really heals. It still hurts till today. I hope you never have to lose someone this way.’ He had given her a knowing smile.

Ahsoka stopped in her tracks and looked up to the now dark-grey sky, letting the rain drops trail down her montreals. “Let's hope I won't lose one of you.”

The temple finally came in sight. The padawan ascended the steps, pushing past the temple guards. She had to find someone on the council, fast. “Master Plo", she mouthed. Taking off in a sprint, she ran down the empty corridors, passing the few lost souls who were still roaming the temple in the middle of the night. She reached the masters’ floor in no time. Passing her grandmasters' room, Ahsoka started to look for her destination. There. On the end of the hallway she finally found the apartment with the designated name plate. Master Plo Koon. “Please be at home", the padawan whispered to herself as she started knocking on the door vehemently. Out of all jedi masters, except for Master Obi-Wan, she trusted the Kel'Dor the most. He had brought her to the temple as a child and had always supported her.

A shuffling sound was to be heard on the other side of the door. The jedi master finally opened up after a few seconds. Even through the mask, she could tell that he was irritated to see her at this hour. “Little ‘Soka? What are you doing here? I thought you were on leave.” He was clearly only half awake.

“Master Plo, I need your help. We ran into Dooku. He caught both my master and grandmaster”, Ahsoka blurted out, almost tumbling over her own words.

\----

Tap. Tap. Click. The sound of heavy leather boots echoed through the large room. The Sith lord was approaching him. Still laying in a crumped heap on the floor, he didn't move an inch. He didn't have the strength to do so either way. The jedi was facing the floor, but out of his peripheral vision he could see the black boots coming to a halt somewhere in front of him. The Force was used to turn him on his back, flopping him back on the cold and hard ground. Gasping for a breath, his body screamed in agony as it was manhandled again. He closed his eyes, refusing to meet the Siths eyes he knew were boring into him.

“Come to kill your grandpadawan now, Dooku?”, Obi-Wan rasped out with a wicked laugh. Kriff, it hurt to talk.

“This could all have been avoided, Obi-Wan. You should have joined me on Geonosis", the Count stated.

“And become the very thing I swore to destroy? You're disillusioned", a ragged cough wrecked his body, “I won't turn away from the Light.”

He heard Dooku crouch down next to him. “Now I see what Qui-Gon saw in you. Such a strong mind.”

“You have no right to talk about him", the jedi whispered.

“He was my padawan, I have as much right to talk about him as you do.”

“No, you lost that when you left the jedi and joined the Dark Side. You left him.”

“I did what I had to, Kenobi.”

His eyes still closed, he turned his head towards the Count. “So what are you waiting for, Dooku? Finish what you started.” Steel-grey, broken but determined eyes snapped open, piercing sick, ember ones.

“I won't kill you, Obi-Wan. You're a far to valuable information source. My orders are to separate you and your padawan for good”, Dooku talked with a calm and menacing voice, “there are more ways to accomplish that without slaughtering you.”

The jedis' eyes darkened. “Stay away from Anakin", he hissed, anger bubbling up.

“It's not me you should be worried about, Obi-Wan. I told you once about Darth Sidious on Geonosis. He's the one after Skywalker. You denied my help back then so don't make this harder on you than it already is.”

Before he could react, Dookus cold hand landed on Obi-Wans' forehead and he felt how the Dark Side began to penetrate his shields. His hands flew up in a futile attempt to swat away the arm, but he couldn't move.

The Sith pressed on trying to break the jedi masters' shields. Obi-Wan fought with tooth and nail to keep him out of his head. Years of training and experience had made his shields almost unpassable. Almost. Every wall has cracks and weak spots. It was only a matter of time before Dooku found his. As the assault continued, Obi-Wans' head snapped back against the metal floor. He gritted his teeth before he couldn't hold it any longer. The inhuman cry that ripped free from his throat was enough to startle the Sith, giving him an opening to shove Dooku back. Out of his mind. Away from him. Away from his brother.

The motion sent the jedi tumbling on his stomach, the Sith was already getting back on his feet a few meters away.

“Stop fighting, Obi-Wan”, Dooku growled. His merciless attack began again. The Darkness battling the dwindling Light.

“No!”, the jedi screamed, voice cracking. Tears were glistening in his blood-shot eyes. He couldn't think. He couldn't breath. It felt like his skull was being cracked. ‘I won't give in', he vowed to himself, as he tightened his shields and braced himself against the onslaught of darkness. He always had to fight for Anakin. From the beginning of their training, as the council denied him the wish to train the boy. When they said he wasn't strong enough to be the Chosen Ones master. When they said he couldn't control him. When they said he was neglecting his duty as a guardian when Anakin ran away in anger. When his friend turned away from on him. When love was replaced with distrust and hate. He had fought for his brother. And always will. Until the day he would take his last shuddering breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always I was listening to music while writing on this story and when I turned to the end of this chapter, the song "Until The End" from Breaking Benjamin started playing. Somehow I found it very fitting, so I chose to use it as a title for this one :D
> 
> I know I'm repeating myself, but as always, let me know what you think : ) Thanks for reading!


	13. The Minds' Eye

**Chapter 13 – The Minds’ Eye**

The mind is a complex system, harboring a humans' consciousness, imagination and intelligence. It gives the ability to analyze, catalogize and reflect. Memories and attachments are sealed deep within, kept behind well protected walls.

Try to tear them down and the rest might crumble to ashes in a matter of a blink of an eye.

In the past Dooku may have shown some kind of scruple before invading someones' mind in that cruel manner. But that was another time and he was another man now. Darth Tyranus. The name his master has given him. Dooku, jedi master, tutor to Qui-Gon Jinn and later councilor, might have felt affection for the man he should consider his grand-son, the man who would have continued his lineage. But Tyranus had taken over, the small, flawed Light replaced by powerful, all-consuming Darkness. He had seen the faults of the jedi, the corruption by the senate and the upcoming downfall of the mighty Republic.

There was no remorse left for him as he searched for the jedis’ weak spots. The auburn-haired man in front him was so deeply anchored in the Light, strengthened by his beliefs and all the while weakened by his emotions. It was almost satisfying to sweep that away from him. The Darkness was taunting the jedi, no one could withstand forever.

It spreads its’ roots over the minds’ shield, searching for a gap or crack. Kenobis’ defense was impressive, Dooku had to give him credit for that. His Light was blinding, but he could see the emotional wounds breaking the otherwise perfect barrier. The remains of a ripped training bond. Qui-Gon Jinn. Once floundering in golden, the tattered end of the connection was now tinted in a dark red, almost black color. It still seemed to be bleeding after all these years. More torn bonds were to be seen on the jedis’ mind but this one almost called to him in an enticing matter.

The Sith let the Darkness flood the broken remains. It was like a void opened up, trapping him inside. He was sucked into the jedis’ mind.

Dooku always thought that peace and harmony would dominate a lightwielders’ consciousness. Obi-Wan Kenobis’ was different. He manifested in the midst of a battlefield. Bodies were littering the dusty ground and it felt like the whole scene around him was shaking and crumbling down. It was loud. Undefined screams could be heard, Dooku couldn’t make out what they said but it almost sounded like they were shouting names. The Sith had to brace himself against the onslaught; the jedi was definitely on the edge of breaking down. Mentally and physically as it seemed.

“Did you find your peace of mind, Dooku?”, a tired voice suddenly sounded from somewhere behind him.

The Count whirled around and was met with the sight of a downed gunship. On the top of its bended and smoking hull sat Kenobi, back turned towards him. The jedi was holding something in his hands, but he couldn’t see what it was.

“I’ll make my peace once the Republic and the jedi have fallen, Kenobi”, the Sith said, slowly approaching the wreckage. The man in front of him let his head fall back and gave a broken laugh. He then stood up from his place and turned around to face the Sith.

“What’s stopping you then, Count?”, the jedi jumped down from the ship, landing directly in front of him. Blue-grey, but worn-down eyes were studying him. “You broke into my mind, now finish what you started”, Obi-Wan whispered, drawing closer. He was clutching Qui-Gons’ lightsaber in his hand, his knuckles almost turning white from the strong grip.

Dooku studied him closer. The jedi looked sick, his otherwise neat appearance was disheveled, hair matted with dust and blood, his robes singed. The eyes were sunken in, sporting a haunted gaze, his skin ghostly pale. Like a man who went from hell and back. Yet this spirit version didn’t seem to be as physically broken as the original. He moved with grace despite his sickly looks.

Jedi and Sith stood before each other, oblivious to the world outside. Both were trapped in this mind game. It was only a question of strength and willpower who would emerge victorious.

“Who are they?”, Dooku finally asked.

“What do you mean?”

“The voices and screams, Kenobi”, Dooku growled, “Whose are these?”

“The fallen ones”, Obi-Wan stated calmly, tilting his head slightly, “people I’ve lost to war or the Sith; to your army, Dooku. I hear them every day and every night. It’s easy to pretend everything is alright because droids don’t feel or scream, right?”

The jedi stepped closer, lightsaber still held in his hand. “I won’t let you take any more from me. You’ve entered my mind, now you have to fight to get back out alive”, he hissed, eyes darkening dangerously. The jedi called his own lightsaber into his second hand.

The Sith was taken aback by the sudden change of demeanor and moved back slightly.

“We’re only spirits here”, he said confused, “you can’t kill me.”

Obi-Wan grinned. “Spirits can be broken, Count”, he hummed, “I may not kill you, but like you said before to me, that doesn’t mean I can’t disarm you in one way or another.”

Green and blue blades activated. The jedi took his stance. “You’re at a disadvantage here, this is my place and you’re an unwelcome intruder. So, I’ll give you a choice. Leave me and my family alone and go your way or face me now.”

The Siths’ eyes narrowed. “Twice the pride, double the fall. I defeated you and your apprentice before, Kenobi. You’re alone now”, he drawled. His red blade snapped alive. He knew how the jedi master fought, him wielding two blades now wouldn’t change that, he thought to himself. Something was off about the bearded man he was facing; Kenobi was too sure of himself, too confident for his liking. ‘Maybe insanity finally got the better of him’, the Sith mused.

Dooku attacked with his usual style. In a flurry of blows red met blue and green. Kenobi moved with an incredible speed, swirling both blades to block the incoming swings.

The Count swung his sword towards the jedis' midsection forcing him to bend backwards to avoid the hit. As Kenobi arched his upper body, he used the momentum to place a well-aimed kick right to Siths' torso. The wind was knocked out of Dooku in an instant and he stumbled back a little. The jedi flipped but was on him again in a blink of an eye. Both lightsabers were aimed straight at his head, meant to dismember. He caught both strikes right in front of his throat, forcing Kenobi to hold his swords crossed. Using the Force he pushed the man back against the gunship, giving him space to move again.

“Let's see if you're doing better than your pitiful apprentice.” The Sith lifted his hand and shot lightnings towards the jedi. Obi-Wan evaded the first charge by merely jumping away, up onto the wreckage. The second was redirected with one of the lightsabers, so that it came barreling back at Dooku. The Sith sidestepped just in time and stopped his assault. Kenobi was looming on the gunship, both lightsabers held in a defensive manner. His gaze was fixed on Dooku and he didn't let his body move an inch.

“I won't fall for this again, Dooku”, Obi-Wan simply said. The Sith jumped up onto the other side of the ship, attacking the jedi again.

He pretended to swing his lightsaber down on the jedis' arm, but Dooku moved again at the same time to grab the hilt of Kenobis' sword. Twisting in a pirouette, he ripped the weapon from Obi-Wans' hand. Still holding on to the arm, the Sith used the opening to kick the jedis' knee in, sending the man tumbling down from the ship. The blue blade deactivated and fell to the ground somewhere behind them.

Kenobi made contact with the ground with a pained groan, but stood up again. Green blade held at the ready. Dooku attacked from above. As their strikes met, the Sith propelled himself upwards from the jedis' lightsaber and landed behind the jedi. Obi-Wan swirled around and again their blades met. They danced back and forth, both men lost in the depth of the battle.

Growing inpatient, the Count growled and suddenly grabbed the jedi with the Force. Kenobi was too slow to prepare for the attack. Lifting the man up by his throat, he closed his fist a little, almost breaking the jedis' neck. With a swift motion he let the jedi hurtle towards him, plunging him into the ground before him. He didn't wait a second as he went for the killing blow. Kenobi still seemed to be dazed by the attack, so he only managed to lift his torso before Dooku plunged the blood-red blade into the jedis' spine from behind. The bone snapped with a sickening sound and the jedis’ legs immediately gave out.

The time seemed to slow down, as the blue eyes widened in shock and the first blotches of blood started to fill Obi-Wans' mouth.

Despite being mortally wounded, he somehow gathered his strength one last time. The jedi propped himself up with his arms, dragging his now useless legs behind him, and made a dive for the perplexed Sith, ripping him to the ground with a roar. Dooku tried to shake the jedi off again but the man was faster. His former apprentices’ blade was plunged into his lung. The jedi stared at his face, as he was still clinging to the weapon.

“You've lost, Dooku”, the man rasped out, “tell your master- tell him, that he will never lay a hand on Anakin. Not over my dead body.”

Obi-Wan was heaving with exhaustion as he finally rolled off his opponent. He let himself fall to the dusty ground, the grip on the lightsaber loosening.

With a shaking hand, the jedi used the Force to plunge Dooku back into the void. Before the Darkness consumed him and he was brought back into his own body, the wounded Sith caught a last glimpse of the spirit version of Kenobi. The man was still on his back and barely holding on, yet his whole appearance seemed to be glowing with a bright white light. The Force was shielding and strengthening its child.

With a snap their connection tore apart again, rendering both jedi and Sith unconscious as the backlash hit them.

\----

He came to with a gasp. Still lying on the ground where Dooku had hit him, Anakin slowly began to prop himself up, twisting so he was sitting upright. His right hand was still twitching, sending false signals to his brain. With a few simple steps, he deactivated the now useless prosthetic.

Their ship was gone. “At least she did listen for once", he grumbled. Still, that meant they were stuck for now, if they didn't come up with an escape plan. Then it him. The fight. Dooku. Obi-Wan.

Stumbling to his shaking feet, Anakin looked around franticly in the hangar. There. Two figures laid motionless on the ground, one clad in black, the other in cream colors.

“Master!”, he shouted, while taking off in a sprint. As he finally drew near, he became aware of the blood, that seemed to be pouring out of both their noses and ears. Anakin kneeled down next to his friend and carefully cradled the head in his lap. The otherwise auburn hair was sticky and matted with blood and the flow didn't seem to stop at all. ‘Inner bleedings', Anakin realized, ‘presumably in the brain area'.

“Kriff, Obi-Wan. Don't die on me now.” His friends’ pulse was weak but surprisingly steady. The jedi master was fighting for his life. Anakin tried to connect with him through the training bond, but had to recoil instantly. His masters' mind was a complete mess, like someone had broken in with force. His eyes landed on Dooku, equally out like a light. The Sith had attacked his friend through the Force and had apparently met his match with Obi-Wan. Despite the anger against the Count bubbling up for leaving his master in such a state, he felt satisfaction at the same time, that Obi-Wan had dealt his share of hits as well.

He turned his attention back to the situation at hand. They had to get off this ship, it was a miracle the other droids hadn't approached them yet. There weren’t any functioning ships left in the hangar, which meant they had to get to the escape pods.

Anakin looked down at Obi-Wan. “Sorry, master. This may hurt.” Careful not to jostle the mans' wounds further, he swept him up in his arms, head cradled against his shoulder. The jedi master didn't react at all from the movement. Worry creeped up his spine. “Hang on, Obi-Wan.”

Leaving Dooku behind, the jedi began his search for the escape pods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it was about time Dooku met his match, maybe not on the physical, but on the spiritual level. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> What do you think? Just let me know :D


	14. Just a little while longer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 14! Enjoy :D

**Chapter 14 – Just a little while longer**

The Resolute hummed quietly beneath her feet.

After Ahsoka had woken Master Koon in the middle of the night, the jedi master had immediately called in an emergency meeting. They had decided to send out the 501st together with the 212th not soon after. The padawan was technically responsible for her masters’ squad for now, but thanks to Master Plo, who had volunteered to take over Obi-Wan’s unit for the time being, she had someone to ask for help.

It had been about an hour since they had left Coruscant again, Ahsoka had called Padme and Satine in a rush, telling them what was about to happen. Of course, both women were concerned that she was sent into battle again, but the padawan had already made up her mind. She was determined to get both her masters back in one piece.

Ahsoka hadn’t slept at all since running from Dooku’s’ ship. Sitting in the small bunk room, the girl had tried to meditate, but she just couldn’t manage to calm down enough. Despite her exhaustion, she wasn’t able to rest either. The Force was in turmoil. The training bond with her master had shuddered to life again, yet she could hardly feel him over the distance. But what she felt over the bond disturbed her, worry and fear laced with anger flooded her mind, making her close off the bond in the process as it became to much. At least she knew that he was alive, but agitated about something.

She had tried to stretch out to Master Kenobi as well, which had let to no response. It felt like the man had vanished in the Force. ‘Maybe that’s why Anakin is so upset’, Ahsoka mused, her stomach churning on that thought. The Padawan would never be able to live with it if one of them died because she left them behind.

“You’re brooding, padawan.” Her mind completely occupied, Ahsoka hadn’t heard the door opening and Master Plo silently slipping into the room. The Kel’Dor was crouching in front of her, searching her gaze as she sat on the floor.

“Master!”, Ahsoka startled, “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you entering.”

The jedi master smiled behind his mask. “It’s alright, Ahsoka. I actually came to speak with you”, while talking, he sat down opposite to her, “you seemed quite upset. I could feel your emotions over the entire ship.”

The padawan lowered her head in shame. “I know that I should be better in controlling myself… It’s just that- that I’m afraid, master. And I can’t help it”, she lifted her head up again, eyes shimmering with tears, “I’ve never been separated from them this way. And it drives me insane to think about what might happen because I left them to die. Master Skywalker, he- he’s so upset and Master Kenobi, I still can’t feel him.” As she finished, Ahsoka started to sob quietly.

A large, but comforting hand landed on her shoulder. “It’s okay to be afraid, Little One. Everyone is at some point. Just don’t let it get the better of you. You’re strong, padawan. I’m sure your master is proud of you. He trusted you to get help as soon as he knew that they had no way out anymore. You did the right thing. We’ll find them, I promise.”

Ahsoka nodded slowly and wiped her eyes. “Thanks, master.”

Plo removed his hand again and took in a cross-legged position, back straightened. “How about we try to meditate together?”

The Tortuga smiled. The last time she had meditated together with the jedi master was when she had been around ten years old. While playing in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, she had stumbled upon Master Koon, who had tried to meditate beneath a tree. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, which is why he had invited her to join him then.

“I would appreciate that, Master Plo.” Resembling his position, both, master and padawan, closed their eyes and dove into the Force.

\----

_one hour later_

He let out a deep breath and emerged from the Force. The picture in front of him was delightful. Ahsoka had fallen asleep sometime during their meditation and was sitting slightly slumped over, head lolling on her chest. The jedi master chuckled silently and stood up, carefully not to disturb her. Gently he lifted the girl up in his arms and placed her on the bunk bed, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders. Studying Ahsoka’s facial features once again, he noticed that the padawan finally had come to rest. Her forehead wasn’t creased with worry any more. At least for now.

“Sleep well, padawan.” Having said that, he quietly left the room.

As he stepped out on the hallway, Plo nearly bumped into Captain Rex, who was heading this way as well.

“Captain Rex, what can I do for you?”

The clone startled a little, as he hadn’t noticed the jedi. He saluted quickly before answering. “General Koon, I wanted to check on the commander. The men are worried about her, she was completely beside herself.”

Plo had to smile at that statement. It was well known that Ahsoka had grown dear to the soldiers over the time, as well as their respective generals. He himself got attached to his own unit, the 104th, if he was being honest.

“At ease, Captain. Ahsoka is asleep for now. She really needed the rest.”

Rex nodded and sighed in relief. “Thanks, General. For looking out for her. Her master really is a handful at most times. I don’t know how she or General Kenobi always manage to put up with him.”

The jedi master had to laugh. “Believe me, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Master Kenobi, as well as his master before him, had always been prone to addict trouble. It seems that’s a habit passed on through the lineage.”

Rex eyes widened and huffed. “I can hardly believe that, sir. But if you say so.”

“Well, I think I should head for the bridge and see if we have a new lead”, the Kel’Dor said amused, “care to join me? I’ve got a few stories that might change your view on Master Kenobi.”

“Of course, general. But I think these are stories all the men want to hear. Especially the 212th”, the clone answered delighted.

\----

Apparently, they had found Dooku in the hangar. His master still a deadweight in his arms, Anakin ran through the corridors as the alarm began to blare. The sound was almost deafening in his ears, he knew if they were to be found now, it would be both of their ends. Obi-Wan was still bleeding and he didn’t know how many bones Dooku managed to break before. He prayed inwardly that the spine was still intact und he just didn’t condemn his master to a life confined to a wheelchair. ‘If he pulls through at all’, he thought gravely. He pressed on further, determined to get them out of this mess. “How many times is it now that I had to save you?”, Anakin muttered under his breath. Of course, he knew that Obi-wan had more often than not had laid his head into the sling to save his padawan. He just hoped that it hadn’t been pulled taut this time.

Finally, the escape pods came in sight. In a haste Anakin operated the control panel to open the hatch. The pod wasn’t big, meant to occupy up to four passengers. He swiftly climbed in and sat Obi-Wan down on one of the seats. Threatening to slump forward, Anakin secured the harness around his friend to prevent him from moving to much or falling out of the seat.

Then he pushed the button to close the hatch again and took the seat in front of the controls. With a soft whirring sound, the escape pod activated and was released from the star destroyer with a snap. “Let’s get as far from here as possible”, the jedi murmured and began to steer their vehicle away. He didn’t dare to set their distress signal just yet; they were still to close to the enemy. Anakin had felt Ahsoka reach out to him about two hours ago, but his mind had been oppressed with worry and anger then. It was still now, as he glanced over to his master who hung lifeless in his seat. If it wasn't for the raise of the man's chest every now and then, one could think that he wasn't alive anymore.

Studying his friend closer, Anakin took in all the changes. It was still weird to see his master with shortened hair, which stuck up on top, considering that he had worn it rather long before. Even though blood obscured his features, the stark scar on the left side of his face was easily visible. It went all the way up to his hairline, standing out between the few millimeters of auburn hair which Obi-Wan sported on the sides. The ear was still missing; Anakin knew that his master hadn't wanted to go back to the hospital, just for a replacement. The beard was the same as he remembered, neatly trimmed and hiding a small scar on his master's chin which he got on one of their earlier adventures.

Until now Anakin hadn’t figured out why he had distrusted Obi-Wan this much. The man had been strict with his teachings but he always meant the best for his student even as he had a strange way to show it. It had never been easy to read his master’s thoughts, Obi-Wan kept his emotions buried deep within, locked behind a stoic mask. As a boy Anakin had thought that his master didn’t care about him and that he was a burden.

It took him over ten years to realize that he was one of the only things that motivated Obi-Wan to keep going on at all. Anakin still couldn’t believe that he was chosen over Satine. His master could have had a normal life, without the jedi and later the war, maybe even starting a family. And yet he had stayed with the order. With the boy from Tatooine, his master had entrusted him with as a dying wish and he hardly knew after all.

Anakin bit his lip, there were a lot of things he had to make up for. He hoped he got the chance to do so.

A small beeping noise made him turn towards the controls again. It alerted it him on a ship nearby. He turned their pod a little to see. He couldn’t believe his luck. The Resolute. The star destroyer had popped up somewhere in the distance but Anakin would recognize it from everywhere. “We’ll getting out of here, master. They found us.”

Finally setting their distress signal, he alerted the cruiser of their presence. The few minutes it took the Resolute to draw near felt like an eternity. While they were pulled into the hangar, Anakin already sprung up from his seat. He crouched in front of his master and felt for a pulse again. Slow but steady. “Almost there”, he breathed out, while he carefully picked Obi-Wan up again. He knew his time was running out, they needed a medic. Fast.

The pod touched down with a small thud and Anakin wasted no time to open the hatch. Using the Force, he let the metal plate fall from its hinges and stepped out into the hangar, his master’s limp form in his arms.

A few clones together with Master Koon were already waiting for them. As the jedi master saw them approaching, he immediately raised his commlink to his mouth to call for a medic team. Anakin still felt disconnected from his surroundings as they took his master from his arms and lowered him on a hover stretcher, starting to take him away. He wanted to follow but hands on his shoulders stopped him. Kix, he now realized, was standing in front of him, brown eyes wide open. He saw the syringe in the man’s hand too late. Something pricked the back of his neck and he slowly slumped to his knees. Gentle arms lifted him up by his shoulders and laid him on another stretcher. Before he finally succumbed to the sedative, he heard the medics talk about something about severe burns and possible nerve damage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They made it out, but at what cost?   
> Thanks for reading, leave a comment if you like! :D  
> Next chapter: the reunion!


	15. Come Hell or High Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was so hard to write. And I think I have to say sorry in advance.  
> Well, here goes nothing. Be warned, this chapter contains heavy angst and possible death!

**Chapter 15 – Come Hell or High Water**

Ahsoka was running. Her master was back, she could feel it. They’d returned to the Resolute. The Force nudged her towards the med bay. As she stormed through the glass door and started to follow her bond to a selected treating room in the back, she barely came to a halt in front of a clone medic form the 501st who stepped in her way.

“Commander Tano, wait! You can’t go in there right now”, the man tried with a calm and steady voice. 

“Please, I need to see if he’s alright”, Ahsoka pleaded.

The clone made a face and shook his head. “They’re treating him right now. You should wait until they’re finished. I can look if you’re able to visit him then.”

Disappointed, the padawan let her shoulders slump but nodded. “Okay, can you at least tell me how he is?”

Sighing, the medic scratched his head in thought. “Well, we had to sedate your master to keep him calm. As to his injuries, he should make a full recovery. He’s got some burns all over his body from being hit with Force lightnings”, Ahsoka grimaced at his words,” but nothing we couldn’t manage with bacta treatment. The worst of his wounds probably is his stump. His prosthetic short-circuited and thereby the nerve ends in his arm were damaged. The medics are working to rewire them right now.”

Sitting down in one of the plastoid chairs on the wall, Ahsoka processed what the medic had told her. “What about Master Kenobi?”

“I’m honest, commander. We’re not sure. We did a full body scan and it looks really bad. He’s got some fractures which were mostly dealt to the torso and head area, some to the legs and arms as well”, the clone stopped for a second as if he didn’t know how to proceed, “apparently his skull was cracked in some places and in addition to that he has a severe brain bleeding. General Koon told us that that might be related to a Force attack. Howsoever, General Kenobi is in surgery right now, the medics are trying their best to repair the damage and relieve the brain of pressure.”

“You’re telling me that he might not survive”, Ahsoka stated solemnly, looking the clone in the eyes.

“I’m sorry. I won’t make false hopes.”

“Thank you. I think I need a moment alone.” Even though he looked conflicted, the clone tipped his head shortly and left. The padawan slumped forward in the seat and put her head in her hands. She didn’t know what to think. Anger, fear, panic, hopelessness. It all came crushing down on her. As she couldn’t hold it any longer, Ahsoka cried out in the Force, not holding her emotions back.

Tears started to drip down between her fingers. Suddenly she was aware of a lot of noise around her, people were shouting around her but the padawan didn’t care. Until a callused and a little cold, but well-known hand tilted her chin upward. Her vision blurred with tears; she almost couldn’t make out the face in front of her. She tried to push away, but the hand was strong.

“Snips, look at me.”

Anakin. He was here. Ahsoka quickly wiped her eyes and finally recognized the man in front of her. Her master looked disheveled, hair messy and various bacta patches sticking to his skin. His prosthetic had been removed; the stump bandaged. The white hospital tunic was a stark contrast to his usual black clothes.

“Master!” The Tortuga jumped forward, right into her master’s arms. Anakin almost slipped with bare feet on the floor but kept his balance. His hand moved up to support her back, as she quietly sobbed on his shoulders.

“I’m so sorry, Ahsoka”, he mumbled, his eyes clenched shut. Medics were already gathering in the hallway, but no one dared to separate master and padawan.

“Have they told you?”, Ahsoka whispered, her fists clenching on Anakin’s back.

He pulled his head back slightly to look at his padawan. Her eyes were still completely drenched. “Told me what?” The words tumbled from his lips, before he could think about them twice.

The padawan swallowed and bit her cheeks. She didn’t know how to say it. She wasn’t prepared to be the one to break the news to him. Thankfully, at this moment, Helix, head medic of the 212th, stepped forward.

“Sir, you might want to sit down for this.” Anakin swirled around and faced the medic. He released himself from the hug and took a step towards him. The Force was roaring dangerously. Ahsoka observed how Anakin clenched his fist, his body trembling. His control was slipping. The wave of despair and anger that hit her was nauseating.

Even Helix, who wasn’t force-sensitive, stumbled backwards, as the General built himself up in front of him.

“Spit it out, Helix. Told me what?”, he snarled. He didn’t hear Ahsoka calling out to him, eyes completely focused in the man before him.

The medic composed himself, before answering with a steady voice, despite the death stare he was receiving. “We did everything we could, sir. I’m sorry, but General Kenobi might not make it.”

No one moved until Master Koon slipped into the med bay, alerted through the Force. The jedi master took his time before he gently aroused the jedi’s attention.

“Skywalker.”

\----

“General Kenobi might not make it.”

The words still rung inside his head. Anakin did not know what to feel. During their escape he always had that outcome stacked away in the back of his mind. And right now, it came barreling towards with full speed. His ears started ringing. He couldn’t lose him. Not like this. Obi-Wan was stronger than that. His best friend always stood up again.

At first Anakin was desperate, afraid to lose his father-figure. And then came the anger. Towards Dooku, who did that to him. Towards the Sith. This blasted war. The council for almost pushing them over the edge.

Himself, because he had been so blind to see his friend’s struggling.

His breathing picked up; the Force turned into a hurricane of emotions as he finally let go. Someone was talking to him, but he didn’t register that. He didn’t notice as objects and people around him started floating, held by an invisible force. Anakin was lost in a trance until he was snapped out of it. Master Koon had managed to brace himself against the onslaught and had put a hand to Anakin’s forehead. He felt as the jedi master knocked against his mind, bringing him back to his senses.

With a clattering sound, Anakin’s hold on the Force loosened. The chairs fell back to the floor, some of the troopers slipped as well. As he finally came around, Anakin was staring into eyes which were filled with fear of what they just witnessed. Behind him were standing Ahsoka and Plo Koon, both eyeing him carefully.

‘He’s too dangerous to be trained.’ Suddenly echoed in his head. That was what the jedi had said. Maybe they had been right. He shouldn’t have gotten involved. Stayed on Tatooine with his mother. All he did was hurting the people he cared out.

“Master, maybe we should get you back to your room.” Ahsoka hat taken his hand in hers and was slowly guiding him towards his patient room. Master Koon was trailing slowly behind the pair, waving the medics off. As they entered the room, he quietly shut the door.

Anakin had sat down on the edge of the bed, Ahsoka beside him. The knight was staring at the floor between his feet, lost in thought. He had decided to keep his silence for now, as he didn’t know what to say anyway.

As the silence seemed to drag on, the jedi master spoke up. “I want you to know that just because his chances are bad, it doesn’t mean he won’t pull through. We all know that Obi-Wan has survived a lot.”

Of course, he remembered. The memories of Jabiim came up again. The moment they officially declared his master dead had burned itself into his head. When they retrieved him months later from Rattatak, after enduring Ventress’ torture, Anakin had thought he was holding nothing more but a mangled skeleton. Obi-Wan had been standing with more than one foot in the grave then. And yet he somehow stood up again.

“I know, master”, he choked out, “I hope you’re right. I can’t bare to lose him.”

“Your master is a fighter, Skywalker. Don’t write him off so soon”, the Kel’Dor let his gaze wander over the master and padawan, “but if it happens, remember you’re both not alone.”

Anakin nodded and gave a forced smile. He could feel the master’s genuine honesty through the Force. He knew that Master Koon cared about them. Obi-Wan had always been a good friend to him as well.

“I think you two have much to discuss. You can find me on the bridge if you need something.”

“Thank you, Master Plo.” Anakin normally didn’t use the jedi master’s first name, but right now he didn’t care.

He watched the man’s retreating form until the door swished shut. Anakin then turned towards his padawan. It was unbelievable how mature the girl had become over the few years he had been teaching her. Deep down he knew that this was because of the war. It made the kids grow up too fast and forced them to make decisions no child should ever have to face.

Anakin pulled her in another embrace. “I’m so proud of you, Ahsoka.”

She leaned against his shoulders, clearly exhausted. “What are we going to do now, master?”

“I think we should wait till we reach Coruscant. Let the temple healers get a closer look on him. And then… I have to talk with Satine.”

He was not looking forward to that conversation at all.

_several hours later_

The flight to the jedi temple had felt like an eternity. He and Ahsoka had tried to get some rest, but they both had been way to uneasy. A healer had stopped by at some time to reattach a new prosthetic to his arm and check on the burns. The clone had told them as well that the doctors had finished the surgery on Obi-Wan but he still was very unstable. They weren’t allowed to see him.

The transfer to the healing halls happened in blur. The team together with Master Che was already waiting on the landing platform to take over.

A healer padawan checked Anakin’s wounds again and declared that he could be released under the promise to come back for checkups. He had merely nodded at the boy’s words, not really paying attention. After that the master and padawan team had taken a seat in one of the corridors in the halls of healing, hoping to catch Master Che for an update on Obi-Wan.

It was about two hours later that they got a hold on her. The woman was clearly tired but Anakin and Ahsoka couldn’t wait any longer.

“Master Che!”, Anakin called out and jumped up from his place followed closely by Ahsoka, as soon as he saw the Twilek healer emerge from a room.

“Knight Skywalker, please lower your voice. This is a hospital”, she stated exhausted, not laying much emphasis behind her scolding.

He held up his hands apologetically and kept his voice down. “Sorry, master. We just wanted to know if there are any changes.”

The healer sighed exasperated. “You two won’t give up, don’t you? Well, he’s stable for now”, she held up a hand as soon as she saw the pair lighten up, “but he has fallen into a coma. We don’t know if or when he’ll wake up.”

“What?”, Anakin gawked at her, his smile wiped from his face again. “Is there nothing you could do?”

She shook her head. “I'm afraid not.”

“Fierfek”, he hissed while Ahsoka kept her silence. “Can we at least see him? Just shortly of course”, he added quickly.

At first Master Che wanted to object again but as she looked into their eyes her gentle side took over. “Fine. You’ll get 10 minutes. But promise me that you remain calm.”

Both nodded eagerly and started to follow her to one of the intensive care rooms in the back of the halls.

Before she opened the door to let them in, she turned around again. “I’ll warn you. It’s not an easy sight.” The master healer then opened the room and waved them in.

How right she was. The sight that greeted them was terrifying.

His master had been hooked up to various machines. The most prominent ones were definitely the heart monitor, which beeped quietly in the background, and the breathing machine, which forced the needed oxygen into Obi-Wan’s lungs through the tube down his throat in a steady rhythm. They’d obviously removed the hair on his head for the surgery, as he was completely bald now. White bandages looped all around the upper half of his head and a few drains stuck out on the side of his skull as well. Some kind of metal brace held the head in place. The rest of his body was covered by a blanket, but he guessed it didn’t look any better.

Anakin gaped and carefully, as if he could disturb his friend, stepped beside the bed. He grasped the hand which laid motionless on top of the blankets, mindful not to jostle the IV which had been put into the arm. Obi-Wan looked almost peaceful with his eyes closed if it weren’t for all the tubes running across his body. Anakin squeezed the hand lightly but there was no response. “Kriff, master… don’t do this to me”, he rasped. Fear and sorrow gripped him.

Ahsoka silently slipped beside him, looking shaken to the bone. “He’ll wake up again, right?”, she asked, her voice merely more than a whisper.

Anakin knew he should something to sooth his padawan but somehow, he hadn’t the strength to do so. “I don’t know, Ahsoka. I don’t know.” He let go of the hand again and hugged Ahsoka instead. “We should go and tell Padme and Satine”, he breathed, while holding her close.

The padawan nodded and began to trudge out of the room, Anakin closely behind. Before he left, Anakin looked at his friend for a last time. “Please wake up, Obi-Wan. I want to see your wedding, not your funeral.”

As the door slipped shut behind him, he mentally prepared himself for the conversation to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, I'm sorry! So, things went downhill in this chapter pretty fast. Let's see how the rest of the team will cope with that outcome.  
> Tell me what you think about this one :)


	16. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 16! Took me longer than expected.

**Chapter 16 - Revelations**

When Anakin and Ahsoka showed up without him, she immediately knew something had gone wrong. Satine didn't need the Force to tell her that. Padme and her had won the debate with the senate, ensuring Mandalore's independence. She had to return soon but hadn't dared to leave before she knew that all of them were safe back home. Guilt gnawed on her mind, as she was the reason for bringing all of them in this situation. Death Watch and the Separatists wanted to bring Mandalore down which resulted in targets painted on her and her friend’s backs. The hours of waiting had been agonizing for both of them.

The jedi duo looked terrible. Ahsoka's eyes were red-rimmed, like she had been crying. Her gaze was empty, her posture slumped. The girl didn't even try to hide her exhaustion or put on a front. She looked broken.

Her master was even worse. Apart from the burns that littered his face, Anakin seemed like his spirit had finally left him. Something heavy burdened on his mind, one could see it on the way his eyes were wandering, not really focusing at anything.

Despite their reunion, no joy filled the room. Padme shifted forward after a while and gathered her husband in her arms. He let his head fall on top of her shoulder, struggling to keep himself together. Satine didn't knew Anakin for long but Obi-Wan had always told her that his apprentice was a very confident and self-conscious man. She could see nothing of that as the jedi knight let himself fall into his wife's embrace.

“Ani, what happened?”, Padme asked with a hushed voice, shocked by the jedi’s appearance. He slowly loosened himself from her and approached Satine, his eyes filled with regret.

As the realization hit her, it felt she just got overrun by a speeder.

“No”, the duchess croaked, stumbling backwards on reflex. Anakin gripped her arm with incredible speed before she could retrace further.

“Satine…”, he began, but she didn’t want to hear it. Not after everything they’ve been through. Satine vehemently shook her head, trying to rip herself free out of the knight’s grasp. The hand only tightened around hers.

“Let me go, Anakin”, she hissed, panic finally taking over.

“Satine, please! Listen to me”, he tried again, this time with a loud voice which cracked with emotion.

Her head spun around to meet his gaze. Satine’s eyes were wet now and she was breathing hard. As she met Anakin’s blue ones, she saw that his were equally glassy.

“Obi-Wan’s not dead”, Anakin rasped out, his hand still holding her strong, “but it doesn’t look good. He’s fallen into a coma this morning.”

She didn’t notice when her legs gave out beneath her and he caught her, lowering both of them gently to the floor. As she collapsed in his arms and sobbed quietly, Anakin spoke again, his voice getting a little steadier. “You know as good as I do that the old man is incredibly strong and stubborn. He'll get back on his feet.”

“How? What happened back there, Anakin?”, the blonde just breathed out, still shaking.

She heard him swallow next to her before he answered. “Dooku, the Sith”, the jedi began, “he did something to Obi-Wan. I haven’t seen exactly what went down between the two of them but I know that Dooku attacked him through the Force and caused some serious brain damage. The docs managed to stop the bleeding but they can’t tell if he’s going to wake up.”

Satine listened intently until he finished. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. Her breath got caught up in her throat. A few days ago, she had thought they’d maybe get a few weeks of peace and quiet after things were settled with the senate. And now she had to face the possibility to lose her partner forever. Again. Never seeing his smile again. His bright blue-grey eyes, which lightened up every time they saw each other or he spoke about Anakin and Ahsoka. It was incredible how much that man had changed her life.

“Can I visit him?”, she simply asked after she had composed herself a little.

Anakin seemed to contemplate his options before he nodded. “I’ll make do, I promise you that, Satine. It won’t be easy to convince the council to give you clearance for the temple and then we still have to get passed Master Che in the healing halls. But it’s the least I can do for you, so don’t worry, you’ll get to see him.”

She gave a genuine smile. “Thank you, Anakin.”

They stood up from the ground again as Padme and Ahsoka approached them together, having witnessed the scene in front of them. Both women held each other close, Padme now equally shaken as the rest of them after she got the news. Rubbing Ahsoka’s arm in a gesture of comfort, she addressed the group. “Maybe we should all try to get some rest. The apartment is big enough to fit all of us. Only if you want to stay, of course.”

Satine didn't really want to be alone right now and as Ahsoka wouldn't return to the temple as well, they all stuck together.

The padawan claimed the couch in the living room which left the small guest room for her. Her mind still swirled with emotions. The duchess sat down on the soft bed and tried to calm herself. In the past she actually had attempted to meditate to find her center after Obi-Wan had taught her the way. Now the very idea of trying left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Slowly she laid down, staring at the ceiling. It took hours before she finally succumbed to an unrestful sleep.

\----

Anakin had checked on Ahsoka for a last time before retreating to his and Padme's bedroom. A heavy silence had fallen over the whole apartment. As he silently trudged inside and closed the door softly behind him, Padme was already waiting for him, sitting on the bed. It looked like something was nagging on her.

“What's on your mind?”, Anakin asked, while he made his way over to her. His wife was fidgeting and pursed her lips as she finally looked at him. Her eyes were puffy, she must have been crying as well when she’d been alone. Padme held out a hand to him, so he gently took it and sat down next to her. Anakin caressed her fingers, tracing over the small wedding band.

“I wish I could have told you under better circumstances”, she began, her voice hoarse from crying earlier, “but you deserve to know.” Padme gripped his hand tighter. She regarded him with a mix of uncertainty and sadness.

Confusion spread over Anakin’s face, not quite grasping where she was heading.

“I’m pregnant, Ani. You’re going to be a father.”

Only now he noticed his child’s bright beacon in the Force. “Stars”, Anakin blurted out with a huff, overwhelmed by the feeling, “how could I not see that?” He stretched out with his senses to trace the small signature.

Padme pulled him closer and gave him a knowing smile. “Your mind is occupied. You’re worrying for Obi-Wan. We all do. It’s only human to oversee things when your head is elsewhere.”

Anakin nodded and smiled sadly. He was so lucky to have her. Soon he’d be a father, have a family. It was a gift and he would do anything to protect it.

His thoughts then wandered to Satine in the guestroom, to Obi-Wan, laid up in the healing halls.

On reflex he pulled Padme closer to him, putting his chin on top of her head. “It's so unfair", he muttered, “why do we get to have a family while others may not even see each other again.” His eyes began to wander over Coruscant’s skyline. It was a cloudy night, not much light fell through the large window and the large skyscrapers were obscured to undefined shadows. In the dark, the city almost looked intimidating, as if it were swallowing the inhabitants in its dark corners. Anakin never liked the city much but right now it made him almost feel uncomfortable. There was a darkness looming somewhere on this planet.

\----

_The next morning_

It was still early, but Ahsoka saw no point in lying down any longer. She had tried to sleep, of course. Yet the events of the last days haunted her every time she closed her eyes, making her wake up gasping for a breath and drenched in sweat. Anakin hadn’t caught on until now and the padawan wanted to keep it that way. The man had enough on his plate and it definitely wasn’t helping if she added her problems to that.

She silently tiptoed through the living room, taking a closer look on her surroundings. In contrast to their quarters at the jedi temple, this apartment was adorned with various luxurious items. ‘Being a senator must really pay itself off’, she mused as she studied an expensive looking painting on the wall. It depictured the palace of Naboo, Ahsoka guessed. She had never been there herself but she had learned a lot about the different planets during her classes. In addition to that her master had always been very enthusiastic when it came to that specific planet. Not reprehensible considering that he married Padme there.

Losing her interest in the picture, Ahsoka gazed further around the room. Her eyes set on an interesting looking instrument in the far corner near the window. She drew closer and cautiously grabbed it in her hand, afraid to break it. It was crafted out of some darkened wood, formed into a hollow body with a long neck. On top off the neck were strings attached which ran all the way down over a hole in the body.

“What you’ve got there, Snips?” Ahsoka had been so taken in by examining the instrument, that she hadn’t heard Anakin and Padme who had emerged from the bedroom.

“Oh, uh nothing. I was just wondering what this is. I haven’t seen an instrument like this before”, she said a little embarrassed, holding out the object in question.

Anakin took it in his hands, not quite knowing what to do with it either. Next to him, Padme started chuckling lightly. “It’s a guitar”, she then enlightened them, “I got it as a gift from a fellow senator.”

Ahsoka perked up at that and grinned at her enthusiastically. “Do you know how to play it?” The brunette’s eyes widened and she held her hands up apologetically. “I think I have to disappoint you with that, Ahsoka. I think it hadn’t been used once.”

“Obi-Wan knows how to play the guitar”, a voice suddenly piped up behind them. All three whirled around and stared at Satine, who apparently had just stood up as well. There were dark rings under her eyes and she looked paler than usual. It was obvious that she hadn’t been sleeping well or at all.

Satine then came closer and studied the instrument in Anakin’s hands. She gave a small smile, as she traced the guitar strings with one of her fingers. “I found out by mere accident. While Master Jinn and him protected me, we had a bet going on between the two of us”, her eyes were still focused on the guitar, but they shone brightly on remembering that fond memory, “I don’t recall what it was about but I know that the loser had to sing a song. Well, and as you can guess, your master lost the bet. We were staying at an abandoned farm house at the time and he somehow managed to produce an old guitar from somewhere. So, when we were sitting around the fire in the evening, he actually sang with the guitar accompanying him.”

Anakin had lifted both of his eyebrows at that revelation. “I never knew that. Did he tell you how he learned it?”

“He did”, Satine said, pressing her lips into a thin line, “but that story definitely isn’t mine to share.”

Ahsoka felt that there was more behind that statement but didn’t dare to ask. Her master seemed a little confused as well but didn’t push further. It was clear, that Satine was remaining silent for Obi-Wan’s sake, not hers. The padawan hoped that her grandmaster might tell them one day.

They dropped the subject then and got ready to leave for the temple. It was time to see if they could get Satine inside the temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Satine knows now as well... let's see how she takes the visit.  
> I have no idea if guitars are a thing in the Star Wars universe but for this fic they are now! Somehow I always liked the idea of Obi-Wan having a singing voice.


	17. Farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I read the comments and yes, there will be a backstory to how Obi-Wan learned to play the guitar. We'll come to that in a few chapters I think. As to which song he sung, I have a few in mind :D  
> The idea of Satine being musically somehow really stuck to my mind and maybe I'll come back to that later on in the story.  
> So, for now here's chapter 17!

**Chapter 17 - Farewell**

Of course, the council had suspected something. All of the members knew that she and Obi-Wan had a rather long history. Over a year on the run together wasn’t forgotten easily. But somehow Anakin had managed to convince them to let her see him. He later told Satine that he apparently had backup from Master Koon, a good friend of the three jedi.

As Anakin led her through the halls of the jedi temple, she felt the uneasiness grow inside of her. It didn’t help that the jedi who crossed their path always seemed to stare. Or maybe it was just her imagination and she was becoming paranoid due to her nervousness. Her companion caught on at some time and slightly nudged her in the shoulder.

“You okay, Satine?”, he asked. She startled a little, but caught herself fast.

“Hm? Oh, yes… It’s just that I haven’t been to the temple before and I somehow feel like an intruder here. Everyone keeps staring at me”, the duchess admitted.

Anakin gave a wry smile in response. “You’re not alone with that, you know? Ever since I came to the temple, they treated me different. Said I was the Chosen One. Bantha poodoo if you ask me.”

“Chosen One?”, Satine asked curiously.

“Obi-Wan never told you? I’m surprised. It’s some kind of prophecy telling that the Chosen One will bring balance to the Force”, he hummed while striding forward, “either way I don’t believe it. Sadly, many other jedi do.”

“Does your master believe it?”

The jedi chuckled. “Funny thing, but we actually managed to never talk about that topic. And I think I speak for both of us if I say that we don’t intend to change that. With the war going on we’ve got enough on our plates.”

“You two earned yourself quite the reputation through the media. It’s almost impossible to not know your faces”, Satine mumbled, remembering all the holo reports concerning the war effort, “the Hero With No Fear and the Negotiator.”

Anakin merely shrugged. “Still better what they called us or more precisely Obi-Wan, before.”

The blonde furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“After Obi-Wan defeated the Sith on Naboo, many jedi started to call him… Sith killer”, he paused for a second and his face twisted into a frown, “he never admitted it openly but I knew that it hurt him because it reminded him Master Qui-Gon. They still use the recordings from the reactor room for training purposes. So more often than not you hear one of the younglings mutter the name when we pass by.”

“That’s terrible. No wonder he still can’t forget this day.”

During their conversation they’d finally reached the entrance to the halls of healing. As they entered, Satine noticed that it didn’t look much different from a normal hospital. A young padawan was sitting at the reception, busy with filling out some patient files. The boy’s head snapped up as he noticed Anakin’s and Satine’s approach.

“Knight Skywalker, what can I do for you?”, the child asked politely, immediately recognizing the jedi.

“Duchess Kryze is here to visit Master Kenobi”, Anakin said and as he sensed the padawan’s confusion, added, “we have the council’s permission.”

Before the boy could speak up again, a Twi’lek healer stepped around the corner, coming to a halt in front of them.

“Skywalker, here again”, the woman said exasperated, her eyes locking then on Satine, “but not alone I see.”

Satine took that as a chance and offered her hand to introduce herself. “I’m Satine Kryze, duchess of Mandalore. I hoped to visit Master Kenobi.”

The healer smiled and shook the outstretched hand. “I’m Vokara Che, the temple’s master healer. It’s a pleasure to meet you, duchess. Master Yoda informed me that you were coming. It’s not very often that someone from outside the temple visits the halls, but I guess we’re making an exception here. Come with me, I’ll take you to him.”

Satine nodded shortly in acknowledgment and started following her. As she passed Anakin, she mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ which the knight returned with a smile before retreating himself.

Obi-Wan's room was in the back of the halls in the intensive care unit. While they approached, Master Che addressed her again. “May I ask you a question, duchess?”

Despite being a little irritated on the request, Satine obliged. “Of course, Master Che.”

“What's your relationship with Master Kenobi?” As soon as the words left the healer's mouth, the duchess grinded to a sudden halt.

“I'm sorry, but what did you say?”, she asked, thinking that she might have misheard the question.

The jedi master chuckled lightly. “You heard correct. But don't worry, your secret is safe with me. It's good to know that he has people that care about him. Obi-Wan has been through so much in his life, he deserves to have someone in his life.” As the woman had finished, she was already standing at the door to the patient’s room. Satine was still too flabbergasted to notice. Jedi frowned upon attachment. She knew that, but yet Master Che didn't try to reproach it to them.

“I guess Knight Skywalker already told you the details?”, the Twi'lek asked as Satine caught up to her.

“Yes… but just briefly", Satine affirmed, her heart beating faster every second. So far, she didn't want to imagine what to expect. Anakin had told her that it was pretty bad, but reality would hit home different.

“Well then. I give the two of you some time”, Master Che pushed the door open, “we don't know exactly if he is able to hear us but it certainly won't hurt to talk to him a little. I'll be back in an hour to check on him and redress some of his wounds.”

“Thank you, Master Che.” The duchess then stepped by the healer and entered the room.

Despite it only being a few weeks since she had seen Obi-Wan laying this deathly still, this one was different. On Mandalore, he at least had been breathing on his own. Now a machine was doing it for him and somehow that sent a shiver down her spine. ‘They don’t know if he’ll wake up’, then rung in her head.

Satine strode over to the bed and gently caressed his cheek. They had shaved his head together with the beard. As a memory washed over her, she smiled sadly. After Obi-Wan had grown the beard, Satine had complained about it, grumbling that it hid too much of his handsome face. The jedi had given a hearty laugh then and had told her that she had to get used to it because he had absolutely no intention to get rid of it again.

Seeing him without it now felt so wrong, knowing that it wasn’t his decision. She carefully pulled her hand back, mindful not to touch the metal device around his head. Anakin had told her that Obi-Wan’s skull had been broken in a few places. The small metal rods disappeared somewhere beneath the white gauze which looped around his head.

She took his hand instead. It felt heavy in hers as she lifted it up from the bed.

“Stars, Obi…you never come to rest, do you?”, Satine breathed. It was ironic that the only time he would get some actual rest was when he was laid up in a hospital. Like as soon as he stepped outside, he would be taken away again. She knew that he must be on the verge of breaking down, no body could uphold to that much strain in such a short period of time. It always pained her to see him walking with a poorly hidden grimace on his face knowing that every step must be agonizing for him. But even as his body was starting to fail him, he still had his sharp mind, until now. The Sith might have taken that away as well. Nobody knew if there would be lasting damage.

Still holding on to the hand, Satine pulled one of the chairs over to her and sat down. Her gaze lingered shortly on the small rising of his chest as the machine pushed the air inside, but then moved on to the large window, observing the ships which flew by. Intertwining their fingers, Satine began to talk.

“Master Che said, that it's not unlikely that you can hear us. So, I guess I just start talking", she tightened her grip on his hand slightly and bit her lip in thought. It had never been that hard to talk. “Stars, I don't know where to start, Obi… We won the debate. Mandalore is secured for now. It's not going to be easy to maintain neutrality. Death Watch and the Separatists are still after us.” Satine sighed. “I'm afraid, you know? I don't know how I’m going to do this on my own. Of course, I have Padme and the others helping me out. But it’s not the same. I need you, Obi-Wan.”

She turned her head to study his face again. Despite his unconsciousness, she could see the lines on his face, evidence of the years of stress and worry. “Remember the day you and Master Jinn left Mandalore after your mission was finished? I wanted to ask you to stay. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It would have been selfish, to make you cast away the only family you’ve ever known. When I see you now, I sometimes ask myself if that had been a mistake”, Satine’s voice turned into a whisper, “maybe you would have found some peace.”

“You would have never met Anakin and Ahsoka though. Most likely Anakin wouldn’t have been trained if it weren’t for you. These are the reasons why I don’t completely regret my decision.”

As she glanced at the chrono on the wall, Satine realized that almost an hour had passed. Master Che would stop by any minute. It was time for her to say her good byes.

“I have to go now, Obi-Wan. They expect me depart for Mandalore in the evening. I hope I’ll get the chance to visit you again. Hopefully you’re awake by then.” She stored the other outcome inside the back of her mind. Satine wouldn’t give up on hoping for the best.

With a heavy heart she stood up from the chair. Gingerly, she placed a kiss on the side of his cheek where no tube was taped.

Satine retraced and pressed his hand for a last time. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, Obi-Wan.”

She then stepped back from the bed and made her way over to the door. Just as she stepped outside, Master Che came walking down the hallway, medical supplies already in her hands.

The woman was smiling warmly as she approached her. “I see you’re leaving, duchess?”

“Yes, I’m afraid that I have to leave for Mandalore today”, Satine said with a pressed smile.

The Twi’lek nodded understandingly. “We’re doing the best we can. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

“Thank you, Master Che. I appreciate that.” She bowed her head slightly in a gesture of respect and quietly left the halls of healings. Everything inside of her screamed for her to stay but Satine knew that she had a responsibility to uphold. She wouldn’t let her people down.

As she made her way back to Padme’s apartment to pack her things and get ready for the flight, she asked herself if she made the right decision this time. The fallout was something she didn’t want to think about right now. Still the decision didn’t bore easy on her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Satine returns to Mandalore for now and it will be some time before she can visit Coruscant again with the Death Watch and Separatists still looming around the corner.  
> Mandalorian translation: Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum - I love you.  
> Thanks for reading!


	18. A Conflict Within

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely comments! :)

**Chapter 18 – A Conflict Within**

The nervousness slowly started to get to him. Anakin was unfocused, not quite knowing what to do. He still couldn’t grasp that he was to be a father soon. A million questions swirled through his head and he didn’t manage to properly answer even one. And the only person who might be able to help him with that still laid comatose before him. The jedi knight couldn’t expect a verbal answer from his friend now, but somehow it soothed him to get his worries off his mind.

Since Satine had left for Mandalore a week ago, Anakin had taken it up for himself to keep his master company. Still it was the first time he actually intended to speak about more personal matters. Talking to Padme or Ahsoka was out off option for him, as he didn’t want to burden either of them. He had thought about going to meet the chancellor, but something in his presence was setting Anakin off lately. The man almost seemed delighted about the news that Obi-Wan was out off the picture for now, despite expressing his deepest sympathy. Which had led Anakin back to the halls of healing in the end. The plastoid chair in the room was as uncomfortable as he remembered from the times one of them had landed themselves inside the healer's wing. Master Che had threatened them once to set up a personal room for them as they were her most frequent visitors. Both of them were known to slip away from the healer's wrath. Obi-Wan even more than him. The head healer had to hunt down his master herself to get him to see a medic many times before. The padawans she sent to retrieve him were simply outmatched by his negotiating skills. Anakin smirked to himself, his master was able to talk down anybody, even the stern Master Windu, yet when it came to Master Che, his silver tongue simply failed him.

He leaned back in his seat and studied his friend. Somehow, he looked even worse than before as the bruises on his head were now blooming in full colors. Master Che had told him that they were thinking about finally replacing his ear in order to prevent a disorientation problem if Obi-Wan wakes up. The brain would probably be overwhelmed already without the issue so it would make things easier for him if at least his hearing was correct.

‘Just promise me, no more secrets between us.’ The words still echoed in Anakin’s head and he really wanted to uphold them. Yet it was never easy for him to reveal his secrets. There was still that one thing in the back of his mind he still didn’t dare to tell. It happened so many years before, but Anakin would never forget the anger he felt then. Still felt now, while thinking about it. He decided that was a conversation for a later time. The knight pushed the memory back down.

“Remember when you made me promise to be honest with you, master?”, Anakin started fidgeting with his wedding band while he spoke, “I know I didn’t tell you about Padme and me, and this was a big mistake. I should have trusted you, I guess I learned that the hard way.” The jedi huffed and smiled a little. “You always read me like an open book, knowing all my flaws. Nevertheless, you kept your silence, even as you found out about my marriage. I still don’t know how to properly thank you for everything you did for me.”

A part of him was glad that he didn’t have to look Obi-Wan in the eye right now. It was still hard to look at his master after he had hurt him so much. He still wasn’t completely upright with his friend. Anakin knew that. The images of the Tusken raiders and his mother popped up in his head again. He pushed them away again quickly, sealing them within. Not now, he mused to himself.

“Padme’s pregnant, Obi-Wan”, he mumbled, “I’m going to be a father… and I don’t know what to do. The council’s going to expel me when they find out. Jedi aren’t allowed to have attachment or even a family… that’s what you taught me since I was a youngling. And I always thought you believed in that. But seeing you with Satine… you seem like a different man, Obi-Wan. I don’t even remember when was the last time I saw you that happy. How does being an uncle sound to you, master?”, he laughed shortly, “even I have to admit that you’re too young for being a grandfather. Oh, and Satine told us that you can play the guitar. Ahsoka and I really want to hear you now.” He began to drift off in his thoughts. “Maybe… only if you want to, of course… you could teach me?”

Naturally, there was no answer. Anakin sighed and leaned forward to prop himself up on his elbows. “I’m thinking about leaving the order. My child deserves to have a father… and Padme wouldn’t have to worry about me anymore. But on the other hand, … I would have to leave Ahsoka… and you. I don’t know if I have the heart to do that.” He started chewing on his lips, a habit he didn’t manage to get rid of since his childhood. When he was young, the only thing he ever wanted was to become a jedi knight and travel the stars. Now that wish seemed so small in consider of his new options. A normal life. No war. A loving family.

“I could really use your advice, old man, now more than ever “, the knight murmured. He put his head in hands and rubbed his temples. Ahsoka was probably waiting for him in the training salles, he had promised to spar with her and he couldn’t neglect his duty as a master just because he doesn’t feel well.

Then a thought crossed his mind.

Anakin looked up again and set his eyes on Obi-Wan. He hadn’t tried to reach out to him since he was admitted to the healing halls. Right after the fight he was only met with terror and pain from his friend’s side. Making up his mind, he took his master’s hand and gently stretched his presence through their bond.

He was plunged in absolute nothingness. Anakin could feel Obi-Wan somewhere in the distance. His presence seemed… withdrawn, as if he was closing himself off in an attempt to protect himself. The once so bright light was flickering, still fighting the darkness that tried to drown it. Anakin frowned. He had thought that Dooku had stopped his attack as Obi-Wan had pushed him out of his mind. It was concerning that the Sith still had his grasp on his master. The knight tried to reach further inside to help but didn’t get near enough. Despite this, he got a feeling on the dark presence. This wasn’t Dooku. The darkness was more oppressing, stronger and extremely aggressive. He had never felt anything like this before. The attacker was oblivious of him and only concentrated on trying to crush his master’s defense.

Anakin retraced and gasped as he left their bond again. How came that nobody noticed that until now? He needed to do something. Who knows how long Obi-Wan could hold up. He scanned his friend’s face again but found no trace of the inner battle. His heart sped up with upbuilding panic.

Swiftly standing up from his seat, he decided to get Master Yoda. Hopefully the order’s grandmaster was able to do something.

Anakin sprinted down the halls, dodging the knights and padawans on his way. As he reached the old troll’s quarters, he didn’t even need to knock. The grandmaster was already out in the doorway, leaning on his gimer stick with both hands. His big ears were flattened and his eyes closed.

“Felt a disturbance from you I did, young Skywalker”, he hummed.

Forgetting his manners for a second, Anakin came straight to the point. “Master Yoda, it’s Obi-Wan. I think a Sith lord is attacking him. But it’s not Dooku. I’ve never felt such a strong presence before”, he blurted out, almost getting caught on his own words.

The wrinkles on the old man’s forehead deepened. “Concerning this is. Take me to him, you will. See for myself this presence I must.”

Yoda reached up with his hand and Anakin realized that he was supposed to let the troll up his back. Not thinking about it further, he pulled the diminutive master up and settled him on his shoulders.

They began their journey back to the healing halls, ignoring the looks trespassers were throwing them. Anakin burst into Obi-Wan’s room and set Yoda down on the chair next to the bed.

“What are you going to do, master?”, he asked with a concerned voice.

“Probe your master’s mind I must”, the grandmaster said and swiftly climbed up on the bed, next to Obi-Wan’s head. Gently, he pressed three fingers to his master’s forehead, just beneath the bandages. He then closed his eyes in concentration.

Anakin could do nothing but watch as the grandmaster dived into the Force. It felt like an eternity until something happened. Obi-Wan’s heartrate began to pick up slightly and Yoda’s expression turned into a frown.

It was at that moment that Master Che entered the room, apparently alarmed from the heart monitor. “What’s going on here?”, she hissed, throwing Master Yoda who was completely oblivious of her, then Anakin a dark look.

Not tearing his eyes from the scene in front of him, he simply mumbled disconnected: “The Sith are attacking Obi-Wan again. Master Yoda is trying to drive them back.”

“What?”, the healer gasped out shocked, her eyes growing wide, before turning her attention to the machines. The heart rate was rising further alarmingly. “If this goes on any longer, he’s going into cardiac arrest. Whatever Master Yoda is doing, he must end it fast.”

Anakin whipped his head around to meet Master Che’s eyes. The healer's expression was serious and it didn't help at all with his attempt to keep calm. He was about to support the grandmaster in a desperate attempt as Yoda jerked back with a jolt and opened his eyes. The jedi master was clearly exhausted and slowly climbed back onto the chair. To his relief, the heart rate returned to normal.

Master Che stepped over to the small master, kneeling down next to him and gently laying a hand on his shoulder. “What happened, Master Yoda?”, she asked worried. It wasn’t often that the order’s grandmaster was near to Force exhaustion.

The green troll closed his eyes before answering. “Strong the dark side has become. Targeted by a Sith lord, Master Kenobi has been.”

“Were you able to stop him?”, Anakin queried.

“Yes, shielding I am your master. Rest he can now. Still find this dark presence we must, powerful it is. Here on Coruscant it is.”

“A Sith lord on Coruscant?” Both healer and knight were completely flabbergasted by that revelation.

“A search party we will arrange.” Anakin was about to volunteer but was stopped as the jedi master lifted his hand in a halting manner. “Stay here you will, Skywalker. A steadying presence your master will need.” All three of them had longed for a leave from the war for a long time now, but Anakin hadn't imagined it that way. He didn’t protest anyway as it meant that he could spend some time with his friends and family. Maybe even plan how to proceed.

He shot a look at his master, who was still out like a light. Hopefully the man would wake soon. Anakin wouldn’t want a repeat of today. The knight really needed a distraction.

The spar with his padawan suddenly seemed really enticing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Yoda is wreaking my mind.  
> Our Sith lord finally made his entrance since his henchman failed all along the line.  
> Let me know what you think :D
> 
> Edit: Found a funny typo till the end of this chapter and corrected it.  
> Of course I meant today not toady 😂


	19. Alive

**Chapter 19 - Alive**

As the months passed by, Anakin took in the changes around him. His children were soon to be born. Twins, as him and Padme had found out about 8 weeks before. The jedi knight still couldn’t decide what to do with his future. After over half a year, their teams they hadn’t found a lead on the Sith lord. Master Yoda and him had been the only ones who had ever felt his presence. And of course, Obi-Wan. But his friend hasn’t woken up yet. Anakin’s fingertips itched to go outside and join the hunt. However, he couldn’t bring himself up to leave his master’s side. The darksider hadn’t tried to attack him again but he always got a queasy feeling in his gut, as soon as he left the healing halls.

Anakin had used the time at the temple to train with Ahsoka or even teach the younglings in combat. The kids cheered as soon as they knew that they were to be taught by no one else but the great ‘Hero With No Fear’. His mind finally began to mend itself after being absent from the battlefields. It did him good. After years he managed to sleep a night through. The training bond between him and Ahsoka had never been that strong. He even spoke with Satine sometimes, if only to update her. Padme and the duchess were staying in very close contact, as the past events had welded them together. Anakin knew that his wife needed someone to talk to besides him so he was glad that Satine filled that spot.

Yet, something was still missing. Obi-Wan. The medics had removed the brace around his head together with the bandages at some time. On physical aspects, the injuries were fully healed, leaving only a large, angry red scar on his head behind. They had even replaced the ear, to an outsider it was nearly impossible to tell the difference. The surgeons really outdid themselves.

With the hair slowly growing back, Obi-Wan started to look a little more like himself. The only step that was missing, was that the man had to finally open his eyes. During one of their tests, Master Che even detected an elevated brain activity a few days ago. The signs for waking up were definitely there, so Anakin had almost camped inside the hospital room, much to the head healer’s dismay. Ahsoka joined him every now and then, also bubbling up with anticipation. Even though this all were good news, Master Che had warned them that if Obi-Wan would wake up, he had a long and rocky road of recovery ahead of him. His body had to relearn almost everything after the long time in a comatose state. Disabilities were still a possibility, as well as memory loss or other cognitive problems. Anakin wouldn't let it pull him down and rather focus on the bright side.

He was sitting on that blasted plastoid chair for hours now. He started to hate it. As far as one could hate a mere object, of course. ‘Kriff the code’, Anakin mused. He would never find peace on that poor excuse of a sitting furniture. The temple really needed to invest in some more comfy chairs in the hospital.

Stretching himself slightly, Anakin let his eyes drift shut. His back would kill him for that later, but he didn’t care right now. He was tired so he decided to take a nap.

\----

His awareness returned slowly to him. He picked up some beeping noise in the background seemingly growing louder and more frantic every second. It was accompanied by a rattling sound. He couldn’t pinpoint neither of both disturbances. Thinking straight was nearly impossible as a splitting a headache pierced through his skull. Breathing was hard, almost suffocating. He just couldn’t bring a decent amount of air into his lungs. Something obstructed his throat he realized.

As the panic started to set in, Obi-Wan ripped his eyes open with much effort. The light was blinding and almost burning for his irritated eyes. He couldn’t make out much around him, vision completely blurry and obscured as his eyes began to water. The jedi master tried to take another breath in but again to no avail. Had Dooku done something to him? Where was he? The panic and fear finally got the better of him. He started choking on whatever was in his throat. As he tried to lift his hand he merely succeeded in a twitch with his fingers.

Suddenly there was a figure over him, apparently trying to rouse his attention. He shifted his burning eyes and tried to see something, Obi-wan only recognized a large humanoid frame clad in dark robes.

‘No. No. No!’ Everything inside of him started screaming. The Sith was still there. Right in front of him. Something started to prod on his muddled mind through the Force and he immediately withdrew. He would never let another Sith inside.

The man said something but Obi-Wan’s hearing was too overwhelmed by the loud buzzing sound that started to quell up. He tried to shrink back from the figure but his body failed him.

All off a sudden more persons were around him, this time dressed in white and beige. Something was pressed inside the crook of his arm before he succumbed to the darkness again.

He didn’t know how long it took him to wake up again. This time his breathing was lighter, although his throat hurt like hell. As he opened his eyes, he realized that the lights must have been dimmed. His vision was mostly clear now, but it didn’t do anything for the pain he felt all over his body. Finally, taking in his surroundings, he recognized a patient room in the healing halls. Obi-Wan was lying in a hospital bed. As he managed to roll his head to the side, he caught a glimpse of the many tubes running in and out of him. There was still the beeping noise in the background which he now assigned to the sound of a heart monitor.

He let his gaze shift over the room until it got caught on two sleeping figures. Anakin and Ahsoka were slumped against each other on the plastoid chairs. Obi-Wan smiled, they looked so peaceful.

“Ana-“. As he tried to speak to them, the jedi master didn’t even get a word out before he was caught in coughing fit. At least that seemed to wake both of them, because Anakin was at his side in an instant. A glass of water was pressed gently to his lips and the soothing liquid poured down his raw throat. He only noticed now how thirsty he really was.

After the glass was emptied, Anakin sat it aside. His former padawan shot him a small smile.

“I see you recognize me now, master. You scared me.”

Obi-Wan furrowed his brows as he tried to put the pieces together. The figure. Dark robes. Not Dooku. Anakin. His eyes widened. “Force, Anakin I’m…”, he started with a raspy voice before the man in front of him started to vehemently shake his head.

“Kriff, Obi-Wan”, Anakin interrupted him, “you have nothing to apologize for. You were completely out of it. Master Che had to inject you with something because you panicked. After that you simply fell asleep for a few hours. I’m just glad you’re awake now.”

Before he could react, strong arms looped around him and engulfed him in a hug. Ahsoka followed not soon after.

“Whoah, watch the…tubes”, Obi-Wan startled, but stopped dead in his tracks as he felt cold tears on both of his shoulders.

Despite the movement hurt, he managed to lift his hands a few centimeters that he was able to put them on their backs.

His brain was still working rather sluggishly, so Obi-Wan needed a moment before he finally understood. He studied Anakin’s and Ahsoka’s faces. It wasn’t often that he saw them crying. Both looked like they were about to have an emotional breakdown. Something must have happened.

“What aren’t you telling me?”, he asked slowly, while his eyes wandered back and forth between them.

Pulling his head slightly back but not breaking up the embrace, Anakin bit his lips and shared a glance with his padawan, who was still keeping her silence until now. She was resting her head on Obi-Wan’s shoulders, tears still flowing. He then turned back and met his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, his friend began.

“How about you promise me something first?” He shot him a questioning look.

Anxiousness was slowly creeping up inside of Obi-Wan, still not knowing where his padawan was heading. He simply nodded.

“You have to try to remain calm. Master Che would kill me if I give you a heart attack after all this.”

“I’m pretty sure Master Che doesn’t need that excuse to get rid off you”, Obi-Wan grumbled dryly, “but okay, I promise.”

Anakin snorted but then turned serious again. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

The jedi master hummed in thought. His head ached badly so focusing wasn’t easy at all. “I think I remember fighting Dooku… he tried to invade my mind. Well, and succeeded partially…he didn’t get what he wanted though. Then a stronger presence tried again later on.”

He felt Ahsoka tense up beside him, her grip getting a little stronger. Obi-Wan started rubbing small circles on her back to calm her.

Anakin pulled himself up so that he was only holding the padawan now. “You felt that?”, he asked bewildered.

The jedi master nodded. “It felt like I was sort of trapped inside the Force. Like being thrown inside a labyrinth that keeps changing constantly. When the second attack came, I was still weakened from before… he almost got me. I don’t know what made him pull back.”

“Master Yoda…”, Anakin murmured, “he helped you. It nearly killed you though.”

Obi-Wan’s face twisted into a grimace. “I’m sorry.”

“What did the Sith want from you, Obi-Wan?”

He knew that the question had been coming. Still it was hard to say it. Obi-Wan looked into Anakin’s dark blue eyes. “You, Anakin. The Sith wanted you.”

His apprentice’s eyes widened in disbelief and the knight withdrew completely. “I made you a target. It’s all my fault”, he muttered.

“No, Anakin. Don’t think that. It has never been your fault.”

“You nearly died because of me.”

“Anakin, stop”, Obi-Wan said more strongly this time although his voice was failing. How much he longed to simply stand up and knock some sense into him. He knew he couldn’t. Somewhere in the background he heard how the heart monitor perked up in its speed. He blocked it out. “They’ll only succeed if you start thinking like that now. I’m still here, Anakin. And I won’t leave your side as long as you need me.”

He motioned with his hand. “Come here.”

Anakin still had a saddened look on his face but returned to his master’s side. He let his head sag back on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, resembling Ahsoka’s posture. The jedi master smiled. It reminded him so much of the times when his padawan had been younger and had woken up in the middle of the night from nightmares. Obi-Wan had always woken up from the boy’s distress and had cradled him in his arms then to calm him down. Most of the times both had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room after that, Anakin laying halfway over his chest and head on his shoulder.

“You still haven’t told me what exactly happened”, Obi-Wan said quietly.

He felt Ahsoka move beside him. The girl looked up at him and cautiously traced something on the top of his head. It didn’t hurt but felt foreign. The touch wasn’t registered correctly on his skin. Scar tissue.

“Dooku damaged your brain, Master”, the padawan whispered, “the medics almost weren’t able to stop the bleeding in time. He also broke your skull and a few other bones.”

Her bright blue eyes dimmed a little and looked at him intently. “You’ve been in a coma for over half a year.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was time to put the trio back together. Now they just have to face the road ahead ... and find that Sith, of course.


	20. The Road Ahead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important author's note at the end of this chapter!

**Chapter 20 – The Road Ahead**

**„** You've been in a coma for over half a year. “

He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing and had to remind himself to keep breathing. No panicking, like he promised. Still, it didn't do much to keep the heart monitor down, so sooner or later the head healer entered the room to pester him.

Master Che approached the trio and threw the younger ones a look. „Skywalker, Tano, out, now", she said sharply, motioning for the exit.

Slowly, both released themselves from Obi-Wan’s arms, much to his dismay. “Come on, Master Che, I’ve just woken up”, he tried to object, but his hoarse voice wasn’t really convincing nor authoritarian.

“And I want to keep it that way”, the woman answered, ushering the duo out before closing the door after them. “Now that you’re conscious enough, we need to run some tests.”

Obi-Wan groaned and let his head flop back against the pillows. How much he hated medical exams. “No running away this time, I guess”, the jedi master grumbled.

The healer snorted and lifted an eyebrow. “Sorry to bring it to you, but I think I wouldn’t even need to hurry to catch up with you.”

“Now you’re hurting my feelings”, he exaggerated dramatically with a hint of sarcasm, “but yes, you’re right.” His eyes traced down to his mangled leg somewhere underneath the blanket. He wondered if he would ever regain full usage of it again. Or at least get rid of the constant pain.

As she started her procedure, she shone a light into his eyes and tested his perception, both visually and tactile. “You can deem yourself lucky”, Master Che then began, while examining his hand, which trembled rather viciously, “I didn’t think you would be in such a good condition after your long coma. There are some serious tremors in your hands though, we have to test if it’s neurologically caused or just by fatigue.”

She then set it back down cautiously and leaned on the bed’s railing, giving him a pressed smile. “Your body had shut down for a long time. I want you to be aware of that you won’t be able to walk or do real physical activities for the next few months as there simply isn’t much muscle left. Also, you might encounter memory loss. It seems that you remember most things for now, but it can happen that you forgot other things you haven’t noticed yet.”

Obi-Wan just nodded shortly, exhaustion now written clearly on his face. “I see.”

It was a lot to take in. He couldn't really afford to worry, but he did it anyway. What if he wouldn't get back up on his feet? Or forgot something important? Would he be left alone? He knew that Anakin and Ahsoka couldn’t stay on Coruscant forever. Not as long the war was raging. Was there even a place inside the order for a jedi master who maybe couldn’t return to active duty?

Master Che seemed to pick up his thoughts and asked gently: “Honestly, Obi-Wan. How are you feeling?”

The jedi master let his eyes drift over her but then let them settle on the ceiling. He knew that there was no point in denying the truth, he would have to stay here either way.

“Not good”, he admitted bluntly, “Everything hurts. Especially my head, I can’t think straight. And the Force… it feels strange. Muddled. Like my grasp on it is twisted and strained.” Obi-Wan didn’t want to talk about his inner feelings, at least not right now.

The Twi’lek smiled sympathetically. “I’m afraid that’s to be expected after battling off a Sith lord twice. You never cease to amaze me. Maybe if it eases your mind… our shadows haven’t found a trace of Dooku again. Perhaps you managed to get rid of him efficiently.”

“I don’t think so”, Obi-Wan mumbled, gaze still fixed above him, “I would have felt if he had died then. He’s hiding somewhere and is licking his wounds.”

“Wounds he might not recover from.”

“Even a crippled Sith lord is still a kriffing Sith lord”, he grumbled absently. Dooku's words still lingered on his mind. They wanted Anakin. It didn't get easier now that they knew that the master was looming somewhere on Coruscant. He wouldn't let the Sith snatch his apprentice away from right under his eyes. “Did they find something on the Sith on Coruscant?”

The healer shook her head. “No, they didn't. But you should focus on healing for now. We're going to need you at full strength when the time comes.”

Obi-Wan made a disgruntled noise. He wasn't looking forward to face another Sith. The dark Side had taken enough from him for a life time.

“I'm going to set you up for physical therapy. You should try to catch some sleep, you'll need it. And we'll figure things out, you're not alone in this.” As Obi-Wan looked at her, he was met with a genuine smile. She started to rummage through her coat pocket before she pulled something out.

A commlink. Placing it inside his hand and curling his fingers around it, the master healer spoke further. “You should call her. Whenever you feel up to it, of course. Take your time.”

Obi-Wan stared at her before he finally understood what she meant. He looked down to the commlink in his hand, then back to her. “You know”, the jedi master simply stated.

Vokara chuckled. “I do. But don't worry, your secret is safe with me. She really is an incredible woman. I've only met her once for now, but I can tell that she cares deeply for you, Obi-Wan.”

‘And vise versa’, he thought silently, clutching the device a little tighter. “Thank you, Master Che.”

The woman tipped her head a little. “I'll leave you to it then. But also remember to rest. Skywalker and Tano will be back soon and I guess your former padawan has some news on his own he wants to share with you.” Having said that, she left the room. As the door clicked shut, the jedi master was left alone with his thoughts again.

Obi-Wan didn't knew what to make of Master Che's last words, but didn't really care either. He would find out soon enough. Right now, other things occupied his mind. How was he going to tell Satine? He didn't want to scare her to death after all this time if he just called miraculously. Thinking about it, he decided that he needed a few hours to collect his thoughts. It was also way past midnight on Mandalore, so he didn't want to wake her now. Obi-Wan knew that Satine wasn't getting much sleep since the Death Watch incident. He hoped that things had settled a little at Sundari and that she was alright. What do you even say after half a year of absence? Was everything the same between them?

His head started to hurt even more. Obi-Wan would lie if he said now that he wasn't tired. Not having enough strength to actually put the commlink on the nightstand next to his bed, he just let it rest next to his hand. It wasn't that much later that his eyes drifted shut and he succumbed to sleep.

\----

Ahsoka knew that her master was distracted. Since they had been literally thrown out of the healer’s wing this morning, Anakin had started pacing inside their quarters. She was pretty sure that even the younglings in the creche could feel him projecting through the Force.

At some time, Ahsoka had taken it up to herself to make some lunch. And as cooking wasn’t really a trait inherited through their lineage, she set for something simple. Nerf nuggets with buckwheat noodles. A meal neither Master Kenobi nor Master Skywalker managed to burn yet. Still she had to give them some credit as they both had improved over the years. Nevertheless, that didn’t mean that they weren’t terrible cooks.

Placing the destined food on the plates, she took it to the table in the living room and tried to rouse her master’s attention. The man was standing on the balcony, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

“Master?” Ahsoka approached him from the door, but her presence wasn’t acknowledged at all. She tried again with a little more strength, supported from the Force. “Anakin!”

This finally earned her some reaction. Snapping out of his trance, her master swirled around and met her eyes.

“Ahsoka, sorry… I didn’t hear you.” He still sounded distant to her, but she let it slip for the moment.

“Uhh, it’s alright master. I just wanted to tell you that I’ve made something to eat.” She pointed to the set table. “Everything okay with you?”

Anakin looked over the city skyline once more, eyebrows furrowing. “Can’t you feel it?”

The padawan was slowly getting suspicious and more confused. “Feeling what?”

“The Force, ‘Soka. The Darkness. It’s starting to make me sick. This whole city seems to be drenched.”

“You’re feeling the Sith lord”, she mumbled, as it dawned on her. For her, it was only her master’s bright light that was emitting in the Force, no trace of darkness.

He turned to her and nodded. “It unnerves me that this monster is still lurking around here. I worry about Padme, my children… all of us. Obi-Wan said that the Sith are after me, what if they try to take my kids? I can’t sit around and do nothing.” She could feel his anger slowly bubbling up, both of his hands clenching at his sides.

Not quite knowing how to handle her angry master, Ahsoka tried to give her advice. “Maybe you should try to talk about that with Master Kenobi. Perhaps he can help you.”

\----

Anakin let his shoulders sag and sighed. “I know I should. It just feels wrong to burden him with that after he just woke up. Stars, he must be so confused about all this. I can’t imagine how it must feel like to wake up and such a long time has passed.” He looked through the windows into their apartment. At the begin of his training with Ahsoka he had wished silently that all three of them would get to live together. Even though he always denied it, he had been glad when his master had helped him out in guiding Ahsoka. The day Obi-Wan had moved out into his new quarters, it caused the drift between them to open up even more. Anakin was lucky that Obi-Wan was such a forgiving person in the end. “Let’s get inside. Before the food gets cold.”

He took Ahsoka by her shoulder and guided her back inside, closing the door behind him.

They sat in silence while they ate. Anakin planned to visit Padme later and then check in with Obi-Wan again. He still had to tell him officially about the children. His mind couldn’t picture his friend’s reaction at all. The knight just hoped that he still got to leave with his head attached after their conversation.

Anakin studied Ahsoka for a second. The girl was still shoveling in her food. With all the distraction, he actually managed to forget to make them something to eat. What a great master he was. The master should look out for the padawan and not the other way around. If he didn’t even manage to accomplish the easy task to care for an almost grown-up teenager, then how was he supposed to be a father to twins? He was definitely in way over his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are changing from now on.  
> In the next few months I'm going to be occupied with working at the university.  
> So, I'm not going to be able to update this story that regulary anymore. I won't abandon it, I promise.  
> Updates are just going to be slow and unregulary from now on.  
> Another thing is, I just lost my cat to cancer. It's still not easy to let him go.  
> Rest in Peace, Little One.
> 
> Well, that's it from my side for now. Thanks for reading and supporting this story so far. See you at the next chapter.


	21. Honesty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being patient with me! I didn't expect to be able to update that early again but I guess I just got carried away while writing.   
> Maybe I'll manage to update once a week or so. I'll promise nothing.

**Chapter 21 - Honesty**

“He’s finally awake.”

Anakin was smiling over both ears as he entered their apartment in 500 Republica. It was nice to share some good news after all this time. Surprised, Padme looked over to him from her place on the couch, having heard his unusual happy voice. The knight shrugged out of his robe and chucked off his boots by the door.

“What did you say?”, she asked puzzled as Anakin came over and sat down next to her, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.

“I said that our sleeping beauty decided to wake up at last after half a year”, he chuckled. Obi-Wan would surely have his head if he ever found out that he referred to him like that.

“Oh Ani, that’s great!” Padme beamed at this revelation. “How is he though?”

“The first time he woke up he was so confused that the doctors had to sedate him again. Apparently, he mistook me for Dooku”, Anakin said, turning serious, “I don’t even remember having seen him that terrified before. It scared me, to be honest.” Obi-Wan was never afraid, at least that was what Anakin had always thought.

“The second time he was more consciously aware of his surroundings. He was pretty shocked when Ahsoka and me told him about his coma”, he snorted as he continued, “well, I think that’s to be expected. I would not have blamed him if he had simply fainted again at this point. He then told me what he remembered from the encounter…”

Anakin bit his lips, not knowing how to say it. Out of habit, he started fidgeting with his fingers again. His wife seemed to catch on his sudden change of demeanor and grasped his hand to keep it still. Her brown eyes looked directly at him, displaying deepening concern.

“What did he tell you, Anakin?”, she whispered.

Pressing his mouth into a thin line, he gently caressed her belly with his free hand. His kids were soon to be born. Sighing, he returned her gaze. “The Sith… they're after me. Killing Obi-Wan was supposed to be their way to get through to me.” He lowered his head in shame, Anakin wouldn't be able to look at himself if their plan had actually succeeded.

“It's not your fault.”

“That's what he told me too.”

“Then you should know that Obi-Wan is right with this one.”

He only gave a small nod in response, his thoughts drifting. “What if they try to take our children?”, he then asked after a few seconds of silence, “they're powerful in the Force, I can feel it.”

“You wouldn't let it come to that.”

“I let them get to Obi-Wan.”

Padme squeezed her husband’s hand tighter and drew closer. “He knows how to hold his own, Anakin. Everyone in the galaxy knows how well you two work together. Of course, they’ll try to separate you. That doesn't mean that either of you is at fault when they manage just that for once. You're not invincible, only human, Ani.”

“I know", he breathed, “and I don't know what I'll do when they succeed again, but one of us doesn't return, Padme. I'll lose myself.”

It was worrisome to hear something like that from her otherwise so proud and strong knight.

“You really should talk about all of this with Obi-Wan.”

“I'm going to in the evening. If he's awake then… I won't stress him further than necessary. Who knows, the old man really needs the rest.”

This earned him a small laugh from his wife. “You know he will get back at you for that at some time?”

“What for?”, Anakin grinned and lifted his eyebrows, “he is old, he just has to get that in his head yet.”

It was an old joke between them and he knew that Obi-Wan was more annoyed than really hurt from being called that. He let his gaze wander until he noticed something laying on the table next to the couch. It looked like a picture which had been turned around.

“What's this?”, he asked and made to grab it. To his surprise, Padme, highly pregnant and definitely not the most agile person right now, snatched it away from right under him before he even got a glimpse on it. She smiled and held the photo concealed to her chest.

“I actually had a little surprise for you. Close your eyes.”

Anakin smirked but complied to her wish. Holding out his hands, he felt how the picture was placed inside.

“You can look now.”

As the jedi opened his eyes, he needed a moment to fully understand what he was looking at. An ultrasound photo. He was looking at his unborn children.

“Wow”, he mouthed in awe, while he traced the picture with his fingers.

“We’re expecting a boy and a girl, Ani”, Padme said, leaning on him and her hand combing through his hair.

“That’s so incredible.”

She chuckled. “Soon we’ll be able to welcome Luke and Leia into this world.”

They had discussed the twins names a little while ago, weighing up different options, dependent on the children’s genders.

“Can I keep the picture?”, Anakin mumbled, still fixed on it.

“I especially made a copy just for you to keep.”

“Thanks. You’re the best.” Anakin tucked the picture safely away inside his tunics and engulfed Padme in a hug, kissing her gently.

As he took a look on the chrono on the wall, he realized he only got a few hours left if he wanted to visit the Healing Halls. Master Che wouldn’t let him in anymore if it were too late.

“I think I have to go now, if I want to catch up with Obi-Wan.”

“ ’course, Ani. Say hello from me?”

Anakin stood up from his place and placed a swift kiss to her cheek. “Will do, I think I’ll be back tomorrow together with Ahsoka.”

He left the block a few minutes later, making his way back to the jedi temple with his speeder.

\----

He was relieved to get rid of most of the many cables and tubes occupying his body. The only machines that remained now were keeping tabs on his heart function. Master Che had woken him up in the middle of the late afternoon to make some tests concerning his tremors. Begrudgingly, he had complied, letting the Twi’lek healer attach some pads to his head and following her instructions. After what felt like an eternity, she finished.

“That’s it. The test is complete.” Almost gently for a healer, she pulled off the sticking pads from his temples. Obi-Wan grimaced as the adhesive tugged a little on the scar tissue on the side of his face. He was starting to feel like the subject of an experiment. Knowing that an escape from this place wasn’t possible yet, he hoped that at least the constant poking and tests were soon to stop. How much he wished for the soothing silence and solitude of his quarters right now.

Clenching his still trembling hands, he watched as Master Che examined the collected data. After a while, she put the chart aside and looked at him with a non-readable expression.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at her face. “What? Is it that terrible?”, he asked dryly.

“Well, it’s not the best”, she began, “the tremors are neurologically caused, which means they won’t disappear as long your brain doesn’t recover fully. But I think with therapy we will be able to help you to regain control of your hands. I can’t promise you though, that the trembling will stop completely.”

“Will I be able to fight again?” It was the only question that really mattered to him. ‘If I can wield a lightsaber again, then I can figure the other things as well’, he mused to himself.

“You’ll have to relearn to adjust to your body”, she tapped slightly on his bad leg, “as long as you know your limits, you’ll be fine. So, yes, I’m optimistic that you’ll be able to fight again. Tomorrow we start with your physio therapy.”

Which meant leaving this blasted room for once in a while. Even if it was just to the rehabilitation rooms. Obi-Wan leaned back and closed his eyes. The pounding headache still had to fade; the medications the healers gave him dulled the pain a great deal but they didn’t erase it completely. “At least that’s some good news for once”, he hummed.

As they were talking, a padawan came into the room, carrying a tray with food. Or more likely the nutritious that were meant to keep him alive. As the tray was placed on the table next to the bed, Obi-Wan refrained from calling its meager contents food. Apart from not feeling very hungry, the broth, which contained some kind of vegetables, and the few pieces of rusk next to it didn’t look really appealing to him.

“Somehow, I imagined my first meal after half a year a little more….”, he took a closer look at the cup containing the broth, trying to tell what its actual contents were, “identifiable?” Still not happy with what he was seeing, Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose.

“Your stomach isn’t used to solid food anymore. You have to take preference with this particular diet for a few days, I'm afraid.” Although she was smiling at him, Obi-Wan knew that she took pleasure in messing with her patients. All healers were like that. Jedi or not.

Glinting at her, he said nothing as he snatched one of the small rusks from the plate and stuffed it into his mouth.

Chuckling at his expression, she motioned at the cup. “I want that gone as well. Don’t worry, it’s no Hoi-broth.” With that she left him sitting on the bed, glaring daggers in her back.

As the door slid shut, Obi-Wan bit down on the rusk, which earned him a rather loud cracking sound as the hard bread gave in. How much he hated that the healers knew absolutely everything about their patients. He couldn’t wait to finally leave this place.

A few minutes later he had turned his attention to the cup. Sighing, he grabbed it with both hands to keep it as steady as possible. The liquid inside still moved slightly from his trembling hands.

Anakin found him like this, staring into the broth as if some kind of hidden wisdom were to be found on the bottom of the cup.

“What you've got there, master?”, his friend asked as he entered the room.

“You tell me.” Obi-Wan looked up and tilted the cup slightly, so that Anakin could peek inside.

“Ugh", his former padawan's face scrunched up, “I surely don't envy you for that dinner.”

“I’m not even sure if this is better or worse than ration bars”, he mumbled and took a sip. As the broth flowed down his throat, the jedi master still couldn’t tell what it tasted like. Definitely not good. Not that he cared about that anymore. He didn’t have another choice. Resigning himself, he finished the cup and placed it back on the tray.

In the meantime, Anakin had taken his seat in his least favorite chair. The plastoid creaked a little as he leaned back. Obi-Wan could tell that his apprentice wasn’t here just to keep him company. Even though his friend was shielding towards the outward world he could feel the uneasiness leaking through their bond.

“What’s bothering you, Anakin?”

The knight snorted. “Old habits die hard, hm? But yes, you’re right”, he leaned forward and propped his arms up on his legs, then turned his head to look at him, “I actually came to tell you something.”

“So, are you going to tell me?”, Obi-Wan asked amused, “Or do I have to wait to find out on accident again?”

“No”, Anakin laughed, “I made a promise after all.” He pulled something out of his tunics and held it out for him. “I actually have no idea how to say this, so you may just want to look at this.”

A little irritated, he grabbed what he first thought was a piece of flimsi. As it turned out, it was a photograph or more likely the result a scan. An Ultrasonic.

His eyes went wide, as he discerned what he was looking at. The only reason for Anakin having this picture was that Padme was pregnant. Which only meant one thing.

Anakin was the father.

“Obi-Wan?”, his friend asked nervously after a while, since the silence had fallen upon them, “are you going to say something?”

Still holding on to the picture, the jedi master let his eyes trace over it once again before he finally looked at Anakin again.

“I don’t know what you expect from me now, but I guess congratulations are in order, my friend.” Giving a small smile, he held the picture out to his friend again. “I hope you’re prepared for fatherhood.”

His former apprentice gawked at him, slowly taking back the photo. Shaking his head in confusion, Anakin nearly fell over his own words. “You’re not mad or something?! I mean I broke the code and everything… how can you be so calm about this?”

“Why should I?”, Obi-Wan shrugged with his shoulders, “I've always known that you found comfort in the presence of your friends and family. It doesn't surprise me that you wanted to have one of your own, since the jedi never really provided you with one.” He had tried to be there for Anakin, but it hadn't been the same as they didn't really have a choice on that matter then. Obi-Wan knew that his padawan had always longed for a family, as he actually had one before he joined the jedi order.

Sometimes he wondered what it was like to know his parents. He knew that he had been abandoned soon after his birth somewhere in Stewjon's capital. Some trespasser had found him by chance and had brought him to the hospital. And as the search for his parents led to nothing, they had assigned him to the local orphanage. Not soon after he had shown his signs of force sensitivity, so it didn't take long before he had been picked up by the jedi.

Anakin’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Thanks", he simply said, “I don't feel ready though. How am I supposed to care for my kids when I can't even look after Ahsoka?”

“You might remember that I didn't do much better when you first became my padawan, Anakin. It's a thing you have to grow into. And from what I am seeing, Ahsoka is turning out just fine. You'll be a good father.”

“And if I don't know what to do?”

“You're always welcome to ask for help, my dear padawan”, Obi-Wan grinned.

Laughing on the small gibe, Anakin studied the man who was like a father for him. It was goof to know that someone was standing with him in this. “How does being an uncle to Luke and Leia sound to you then?”

Eyes glistening with happiness, Obi-Wan chuckled as he answered. “I'd be honored.”

His padawan nodded shortly and smiled. Then his expression turned again into something between worry and fear. “There are two more things I'd like to discuss… Firstly, what about the Council? They will expel me when they find out. And secondly… I'm afraid that the Sith might target my children.”

He sat up straighter on the bed, contemplating on Anakin’s words. “Concerning your path with the jedi…”, Obi-Wan trailed off a little, “I guess you should think about what you really want, Anakin. Do you want to stay or do you want to leave with Padme and your children? Regardless of how you choose, I’ll support your decision.”

“I’d like to have both, I suppose”, the knight mumbled, “I won’t leave you or Ahsoka as long as the war is going on. But I also want to be there for my family as well.”

“I see”, he hummed silently and scratched the stubbles on his chin, “you don’t need to worry about the council, you’re far too valuable to simply be expelled. Also, at least the last time I actually attended to a council meeting; we had a debate on the non-attachment rule. More and more jedi seem to disagree with that one. Maybe the code is changing.” Obi-Wan’s blue-grey eyes locked on Anakin’s clear blue ones. “It won’t be easy for you though; you will have to constantly choose between your duties to the jedi and your family. There will be a time where you can’t uphold to both, so you may have to set your priorities, as hard as that sounds now.”

Anakin leaned back in his chair and grimaced. “I know. That’s what worries me. You of all people know that I’m terrible at thinking straight when it comes to things like that.”

Yes, Obi-Wan did. His padawan had always been known to make rash decisions when his emotions got the better of him. Nevertheless, it was surprising to him that Anakin admitted his flaws. The young man had definitely changed a lot.

He shook his head. “I’m honest, I don’t really have an advice for that. I could tell you that you should only follow the Force or that you should suppress your emotions. But considering everything that happened over the past months… those feel like old platitudes. More so, they even feel wrong.”

Obi-Wan would be a hypocrite if he told that he always got his emotions in check. “From what I experienced, it’s impossible to get rid of your emotions.” And oh stars, how long he had tried to accomplish that. “You should accept them, but don’t let them overpower your judgment. Let yourself be guided by the Force, but remember that you’re the one who has to pull the trigger in the end.”

As a padawan he had sometimes wished that Qui-Gon wouldn’t have listened to the Force without an ulterior motive. Or maybe he should have listened more intently to understand its whispers correctly. It would have spared the both of them a lot of pain.

Anakin was looking at him with wide eyes. “I don’t think you ever spoke so openly about the Code with me.”

“It was about time.”

“Honestly Obi-Wan, I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Then don’t”, the jedi master laughed, “there is no need to do so anyway.”

“Bantha poodoo! Of course, there is!”, Anakin exclaimed, “Without you I probably wouldn’t even be a jedi! …You made me into the man I am today. And I realized almost too late how much you meant to me.”

Obi-Wan was taken aback a little. The only other person who ever openly admitted their affection to him had been Satine. ‘You still have to call her’, a voice somewhere in the back of his mind whispered.

“I don’t know if I told you that before, but you’re like a brother to me, Anakin. You’ve always been family.” ‘Even though you pushed me out for a long time’ went unspoken.

A comfortable silence between them before Anakin spoke again. “What are we going to do about that Sith lord?”

“We can’t face him head-on. If we want to have a chance, we need time to prepare and come up with a plan. Also, I’m not really up for a fight right now.”

Sighing, his former padawan rubbed his temple. “Guess you’re right. Let’s just hope he isn’t a step ahead of us again.”

“As soon as our Sith lord makes another move, we will know. We have jedi keeping their eyes open all over Coruscant. He won’t escape.”

“I hope so. I don’t want him near my children”, Anakin muttered, not quite happy with the answer.

When the door suddenly opened, both men thought that Master Che was back again. To their relief, it was only Ahsoka, who had decided to stop by as well.

She was puzzled by their expressions, as the door closed silently behind her. “Am I interrupting something?”

Her master smiled and shook his head. “No, we just thought the healers were back again.”

“Not that you’re the one suffering under their wrath”, Obi-Wan grumbled towards Anakin, throwing him a look.

“Should I call for Master Che? I’m sure she has another one of these broth for you”, his friend teased on his expense.

“If you want all of the chairs in your quarters replaced with this lovely plastoid sitting furnitures, you can just do that, Anakin”, he shot back dryly.

Ahsoka giggled while she listened to her masters bantering. It was good that the were having some fun after all.

“Did you tell him now?”, she asked Anakin as she sat down next to him.

“Before he could answer, Obi-Wan decided to chime in. “Yes, he did. And no, I won’t rip his head off. Although I’d really liked to sometimes”, he added with a grin.

“We'll see who rips off whose head as soon as you're fit for a training fight again, master”, Anakin challenged.

“I'll remind you when the time comes, my padawan.”

The three of them talked for a while before Ahsoka remembered something she wanted to ask her grandmaster.

“Can I ask you something, Master Kenobi?”

“Of course, Ahsoka.”

She shared a short glance with her master, apparently, he was involved in that matter too. Both sported a little unsure smile.

“Satine may have told us something”, she started, letting her eyes waver between him and Anakin.

“And what might that be that the both of you are acting this strange?”, Obi-Wan was seriously irritated by now. He just couldn’t imagine what it was that only Satine had known until now.

“She told us that you can sing and play the guitar.”

Oh. That one.

The jedi master made a face and bit the inside of his cheeks. “And know you want to know how I learned that”, he simply stated, his mind racing with otherwise well-hidden memories.

“Only if you like to tell us”, Anakin said apprehensively this time, upon seeing his master’s grimace.

“It’s okay… “, Obi-Wan thought about his next words, “it’s just that I haven’t actually spoken over my apprenticeship before. Let’s say that a few things happened that I would like to forget.”

He took a deep breath before he continued. “So, maybe I just start with what you wanted to know.”

“I learned to play the guitar while I was on Melida/Daan after Master Qui-Gon left me there.”


	22. Haunted by the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually never read the Jedi Apprentice series, I just vaguely know the story. So don't be surprised when things turn out completely different than in the books.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy reading!

**Chapter 22 – Haunted by the Past**

_Melida/Daan_

Obi-Wan knew he should deem himself lucky that Master Jinn had taken him on as a padawan after all. Yet, as they were standing in front of each other now, a small part inside of him whispered that maybe becoming a jedi knight wasn’t even his destiny.

Like his master had always said, he was too angry, too unstable, too close to the darkness. Even though that he had been selected as a padawan only a few months ago, Master Jinn had never really warmed up to him and it felt like he was only a disappointment, an unwanted burden.

Despite Master Yoda’s meddling it had been clear that Qui-Gon had rather chosen every other initiate than Obi-Wan. He had tried so hard to become the apprentice Master Jinn wanted. But in this very moment, he was only seconds away from leaving that path forever.

It should feel wrong, but leaving children without defense in a war zone felt even more sickening.

Qui-Gon didn’t see that. His focus was completely on Master Tahl. After being dispatched to negotiate a peace treaty between the two opposing fractions, the Melida and the Daan, Tahl had been captured and injured. With the help of a group of children, The Young, they were able to set the dispute between them and free the jedi. Sadly, that victory was short lived as the Elders now turned against their own children.

Even a blind man could tell that Master Jinn loved her. Nonetheless, Obi-Wan never got a glimpse of that caring man. For him, Qui-Gon only offered reprimands and a cold shoulder. He didn’t understand what he did so wrong that the jedi master wasn’t able to let him in just a bit.

How much longer did he have to prove himself to others? Why wasn't he ever good enough for someone?

Even their training bond hadn’t been properly formed. It hurt, but it was nothing Obi-Wan could do about it.

‘Don’t let them see that they hurt you. Keep your head up high and face what wants to tear you down.’

The padawan still remembered the words in detail. Master Koon had told him that after Bruck and some of the other initiates had ganged up on him. Of course, after Obi-Wan had managed to get a few hits in they had accused him of having started the fight. And to his dismay, the jedi masters even believed their story. All except the gentle Kel’Dor. The man had taken him to the healing halls afterwards and had spoken these words to him. Obi-wan had always hoped that he would choose him as a padawan.

He had been disappointed again as he was shipped off to Bandomeer instead.

To help the children, Obi-Wan had wanted to use their ship to fend of the Elder’s fighters, as the Young had no chance against the air assault. Him and Cerasi, one of the Young’s leaders, had made it to the aircraft only to be met with Qui-Gon who was very intent on leaving right now.

The man was scowling down on his young padawan, clearly displeased with the boy’s actions.

“And here I thought you finally learned to listen to the orders you were given, padawan”, the jedi sneered, “As I see, I’m clearly mistaken, as you seem to be doing everything possible to endanger the mission.”

Obi-Wan flinched as he was met with the onslaught of fury and disappointment in the Force, but held his ground. Now was not the time to back off. “Master, these kids are dying!”, he tried to reason, “We can’t just leave them.”

“I will take Master Tahl back to the temple, either you board this ship or you stay here. Now choose.” Qui-Gon‘s expression had become colder as he said these words. Obi-Wan knew that there was no ground for him to build on left. The jedi master had made his point and didn't want to discuss the subject further.

Heart hammering in his chest, the 13-year-old thought about his next words. The decision weighted heavy on him but he didn't see another way.

His mouth suddenly felt very dry as he sealed his fate. “I won’t abandon those who are in need", Obi-Wan's voice was steady while he spoke, “even if that means not becoming a jedi knight.”

Clipping his lightsaber from his belt, the weapon suddenly felt foreign in his hands. It was the first he ever constructed, supposed to accompany him on his way to knighthood. Now it would be the tool to separate him from his past.

With a trembling hand, he ignited the bright blue blade. There was no going back for him.

Obi-Wan grabbed his padawan braid and severed the strand of hairs in a swift motion.

He let the short red hairs be consumed by the muddy ground beneath his feet, burying his dreams with them. Tears shimmered in his eyes, as he squeezed them shut in an attempt to hide his emotions.

Deactivating the saber again, he held the hilt out to his master. Obi-Wan opened his eyes to look at his master for a last time. One could be mistaken but it looked like a flash of remorse and guilt swept over the man's face. It didn't matter to Obi-Wan though. He had made his choice.

“Thank you for giving me a chance, Master Jinn. But I can't go home with a clear conscience. Not when children are dying and I could do something about it, I just can't. I'm so sorry.”

Qui-Gon studied him with a strange expression, before nodding shortly. “Very well, Obi-Wan. If this is what you wish, so be it.” A callused, big hand slowly eased the weapon from his grasp.

As the hilt left his palm, a sudden coldness washed over Obi-Wan. The Force had quieted, he realized. For the first time in his life the constant whispers inside of him came to a halt. No guiding light, no one to show what was right or wrong. The decision was his. And his alone.

Obi-Wan bowed slightly. At least he would walk away with dignity. “Farewell, Master Jinn. May the Force be with you.”

Tipping his head slightly, Qui-Gon pressed his lips into a thin line. “And with you, Obi-Wan”, the man whispered. It looked like he wanted to say more but as he watched the young boy in front of him, his mouth slipped shut again. He studied the saber inside his hand before he clipped it to his belt. Throwing a last glance on Obi-Wan and Cerasi, he then turned around and made his retreat into the ship.

It wasn't easy to let him walk away. Obi-Wan watched in silence as the ramp closed and the ship lifted up into the air. He didn't know how long he watched the silhouette disappear into the distance, as suddenly a soft hand landed on his shoulder.

“Obi-Wan?”, a tentative voice asked. Cerasi. Of course. He had almost forgotten about her presence.

Obi-Wan lightly grabbed the hand on his shoulder and slipped it off. Eyes hefted now on the ground in front of his feet, he shook his head.

“Not now, Cerasi”, he mumbled distantly. Somewhere in front of his boot a few red hairs were sticking out of the mud. Obi-Wan scowled and clenched his fists, before he turned around and trudged past the young girl, leaving her to follow him.

They made their way back to the Young’s hideout in the underground in silence. Some of the children looked up alarmed as Obi-Wan wordlessly stomped past them.

He wanted to be alone. His blood was boiling. The anger was threatening to consume him.

But who was he angry at? The jedi order? Qui-Gon? Or himself?

Obi-Wan left the group behind him and climbed through one of the smaller tunnels in the cave system. Slipping down into a small alcove, he let himself slip down to the floor.

Who was he trying to fool? He didn’t know what to do. Fighting a war wasn’t something they taught them at the jedi temple. Let alone leading children into it with the small hope of turning things for the better.

They were on their own now. And it was his fault. He should have been more insistent. Maybe he could have convinced Qui-Gon. For the sake of the children.

The thought of his former master made him sick again. As he tapped into the Force, he felt nothing of their meager bond anymore. It was gone without a trace. ‘It should have hurt’, he thought. But on the other hand, the training bond hadn’t really been there at all.

Next to him laid a small stone on the ground. Obi-Wan used the Force to call the rock towards him and let it float over his palm. The surface was uneven, its edges almost sharp, chipped in a lot of places. The color varied from a light grey, over a light coppery tone to brown. It reminded him of one of the rocks in the Room of the Thousand Fountains back at the temple.

He closed his fist and shattered the stone into pieces.

Hours later he silently returned to the other children. Some of them had gone to sleep but most of them had stayed awake. The bombing and shooting on the surface weren’t easy to drown out.

Obi-Wan sat down next to Cerasi on the ground, somewhere on the side of the cave, crossing his legs. She was cleaning an old guitar they had found a few days ago.

“Do you want to talk about it now?”, she asked, stopping with her task.

“No”, he rasped, his voice cracking a little. He wasn’t even sure if he ever wanted to talk about it.

Nodding in understanding, she looked over their small group. Most of the kids weren’t older than nine years.

Cerasi focused back on the instrument in her hands, it was worn down but still functionable. The strings needed to be replaced at some time but they had to do for now.

“Here, take it”, she said, holding it out to him Obi-Wan.

Confusion spread over his face as he looked at the guitar with a questioning look. “I don’t know how to play.”

“Then you will have to figure it out.” Without waiting longer, she just pressed the instrument into his arms.

Obi-Wan studied the wood for a second before he watched her again. “Why should I?”

Cerasi smiled. “To keep your sanity, Obi-Wan. You won’t talk about what is going on inside of you. And it will break you, if you keep going like this. Finding a way to express yourself is important, so maybe you want to give it a try.”

With that she stood up and left to talk to some of the younger children. Being alone with his thoughts again, Obi-Wan plucked on the guitar strings. He knew that Cerasi was right. Confiding in others had never been his strength.

Perhaps he should give this approach a shot.

\----

_present time_

“I can't believe you left the jedi order", Anakin breathed bewildered, staring at his former master in awe.

Ahsoka shifted nervously beside him before she mumbled: “I'm more concerned about the fact that Master Jinn just left his padawan in a warzone without a second thought. He could at least have tried to help.”

The jedi knight looked at his protégé for a second, contemplating her words, then let his eyes lock on Obi-Wan, who still had to say something. “Why did you never tell us, master?”

The jedi master pressed his lips into a grim line. “Would it have made a difference?”

Both padawans shared a side glance. “What? Of course, it would have made a difference, Obi-Wan! Maybe I would have understood you for once", Anakin burst out.

“Understanding what, Anakin? That I am not the perfect jedi of whom you think I am? That Qui-Gon maybe isn't that flawless hero you worshipped all the time?”, Obi-Wan bit back, before his face contorted into a grimace of hurt. Averting his gaze, he let out a breath. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.”

An awkward silence fell between them. Anakin and Ahsoka were still studying their master's frame while the man in question seemed to stare at something in front of him.

It took Anakin a few minutes before he was calm enough to speak again.

“No", he shook his head, “it's alright. I shouldn't have pushed you that far. I'm sorry, master. You’re right though, I don’t know if I would have believed you that Master Jinn wasn’t the man that saved me from Tatooine.”

“I wouldn’t have judged you for that”, Obi-Wan huffed, “he was a different man when he was with you.”

Noticing the silence that was threatening to overcome them again, Ahsoka spoke up.

“How long were you on Melida/Daan?”

“A little over a year, I think”, Obi-Wan hummed in thought, “We didn’t really keep track off the time.”

“How come that you rejoined the order then?” Ahsoka knew that she was walking on thin ice, but she wanted to understand her grandmaster. If him and Anakin couldn’t really speak about that openly, then at least she should give it a try. She wouldn’t be able to fix the broken, but she could turn their relationship for the better. They were a family after all. And they should stick together. No matter what. Even if saying the truth might hurt.

Her grandmaster sighed. “Things were soon starting to turn sideways. None of us were trained soldiers, nor were we equipped to stand a chance against the Elders. We somehow managed to fend them of for a year, but then they finally broke into the underground system. As we were cornered and outmatched now, we had no choice but to run. I decided to call the jedi order for help again.”

“And they send Master Jinn.”

Obi-Wan nodded and smiled a little. “Sharp conclusions, Little One. But yes, he came and together we managed to settle the dispute. I accompanied him back to Coruscant afterwards where I was put on trial for disobeying my orders and breaking the code. Qui-Gon took me back as his padawan maybe two months later.”

Anakin had fallen silent during their conversation, listening intently. The knight still didn’t know what to make of that story. 

“You still have that guitar Cerasi gave you?”, he asked then.

Obi-Wan looked at him again. “Sadly, I do not. It was lost as we escaped from the undergrounds.”

“Would you play for us if we organized one for you?” Anakin knew exactly where to get one. It would be nice if one actually brought the instrument to life for once.

“I could try, but I don’t know if I still can. It’s been a long time since I played guitar”, he held out his trembling hands, “and then there’s this issue.”

“Master Che said she had an idea to help with that.”

“Well, she didn’t specify what it is yet, so I guess I’ll have to find out tomorrow.” Obi-Wan put his arms down again to let them rest in his lap.

Next to him still laid the commlink Master Che had given him. He shouldn't delay the call any further. Satine deserved to know and Obi-Wan really missed her too.

Ahsoka noticed how his eyes rested on the device and nudged Anakin lightly in the side.

‘We should go, master. I think Master Kenobi still has something to settle’, she sent over their bond.

Her master was confused for a moment, but then he followed Obi-Wan’s gaze and it dawned on him. Satine, of course. Ahsoka’s observation skills sometimes were really admirable.

Straightening his back, Anakin stood up from the chair. “I think we should go now, before Master Che throws out again.”

Realizing that Anakin and Ahsoka must have noticed his absentness, Obi-wan quickly looked back at the master-padawan duo. “Oh, no… I must have gotten distracted. I’m sorry.”

His former padawan smiled and led Ahsoka by her shoulder towards the door. “Don’t worry we understand. Just say hello from me, will you?”

With that both left the room and Obi-Wan was alone again. He grabbed the commlink and held it in his hands. He should call her. He knew that. But he still didn’t know what to say.

Sighing, Obi-Wan noticed that he was trying to postpone the call again. ‘Pull yourself together, Kenobi.’ He was going to call the woman he intended to marry, not his worst enemy.

With trembling hands he put in her frequency and started the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It definitely wasn't easy to write that chapter, I'm still not sure if I'm completely content with the outcome.  
> Let's see how Obi-Wan's and Satine's conversation will turn out.
> 
> Thanks for reading and tell me what you think!


	23. Weathering the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, things are turning upside down for me right now :D So, this chapter is a little shorter than the previous ones.

**Chapter 23 – Weathering the Storm**

Satine had already fallen asleep when she was awoken by the sound of the commstation in the living room. For a second, she thought about ignoring the call and let the person leave a message. But then a thought struck her mind. Why would someone call her in the middle of the night? Because they were off-worlders. And it was important. Coruscant. The jedi temple. Anakin or Master Che. Maybe even Padme or Ahsoka.

She was wide awake in an instant and almost fell out of bed as she stumbled to her feet in a rush. As she stormed into the living room Satine could already make out the ID of Master Che. That number had burned itself into her head over the past months. Every time something changed concerning Obi-Wan. To the better or worse. Her heart hammered in her chest as she stood in front of the beeping device. What if Obi-Wan died after all this time? She wasn't prepared for that. Or ever will be. ‘No’, she thought to herself, ‘don't think like that.’

Taking a deep breath which didn't help at all to calm her down, she finally answered the call.

“Hello? “, she asked gingerly. The video of the transmission was deactivated. ‘Strange’. The temple healer otherwise always showed her face.

There was a short silence on the other end and Satine thought that Master Che maybe had already hung up. But then a voice spoke up, calm but apprehensively.

“Hello Satine.” Her heart nearly stopped in her chest and she had to sit down in one of the chairs next to the commstation to keep herself from fainting.

It was him. After all this time. How long she had languished to just hear him speak again. But now, as the moment was finally there… she didn’t know what to say. The words got stuck in her throat. Everything was too much. She still couldn’t grasp what was happening. Maybe she was still dreaming.

“Obi-Wan?”, she whispered, even though it was obvious that it was him.

“Yes, it’s me.” There was a small rustling sound on the other side of the line and suddenly the hologram popped to life in front of her. The image was shaky and Satine could tell that it wasn’t because of an unstable connection. Obi-Wan’s hands were trembling.

His features looked gaunt, dark circles underneath his eyes were more prominent than ever before. She couldn’t discern if it was because of lack of sleep or stress. It was worrisome to see him like that even though she had seen him right at the beginning this whole ordeal. The bluish shimmer of the transmission let him look even paler than he probably was. As his hair wasn’t more than a centimeter long, Satine got a good glimpse on the new scar where the medics had opened his skull to save his life. It hadn’t looked good for Obi-Wan at the time and yet here he was. Alive and awake.

“Oh my… when? How are you feeling?” The words tumbled from her mouth before she could get a second thought in.

A small smile appeared on his face. With his chin only covered with a few stubbles, even that looked foreign. The beard had hidden a lot of his facial expressions. Now she could even see the dimples which formed as the corners of his mouth lifted.

“I woke up a little over a day ago. I’m sorry I didn’t call you earlier…”, he sighed and rubbed neck, “there was a lot to take in in the last few hours. First they tell me that I missed over half a year and then Anakin declares to me that Padme is pregnant with twins.”

He huffed an exhausted laugh. “I don’t feel like I’m awake. It’s more like an unrealistic dream. I’m happy for Anakin though, he always longed for a family. Jedi or not.”

Satine chuckled. Typically, Obi-Wan had again managed to dodge the question about his welfare. She could totally understand his confusion, it must be overwhelming to have so many new thrown into his face. Sadly, she wasn’t there to witness the face Obi-Wan might have pulled upon his best friend’s words. Satine would give almost everything to get a holo from that moment. “Anakin considers you his family. You practically raised that boy, you know that.”

“Still that doesn’t stop us from arguing”, he hummed.

Frowning, she tried to discern what he meant with that. “What happened?”

“I had to tell them about Melida/Daan.”

He didn't need to say more because Satine knew the story. It's been a long time ago that Obi-Wan told her about the war and the child army. For a second, she thought that that haunted look flashed through his eyes again. She had seen it on his face almost every time when he returned from one of these dreadful campaigns in the warzones. Obi-Wan had never been made for war.

She winced. Him having to relive this part of his life was definitely partly her fault. Maybe she shouldn’t have told Anakin and Ahsoka about the guitar. 

“I’m sorry. I haven't thought about it.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, it’s okay. We promised each other to tell the truth after all. That includes the past. I shouldn’t have kept that a secret from the beginning. Perhaps Anakin would have trusted me for once in a while.” A rather sad expression crossed his face.

“You’re not at fault, Obi. It’s understandable that you wanted to forget what happened.”

The regret still hadn’t left his features and it hurt her to see him like this again. “Honestly, how are you feeling?”, before he could even open his mouth, she fixed his gaze, “and don’t lie to me.”

His eyes lit up a little as he looked at her, while he answered silently. “As if I ever lied to you, Satine.”

“And to answer your question…”, his shoulders slumped, “I’ve been better. My head hurts a lot even though the medics are giving me something for the pain. And I can neither walk nor keep my hands from trembling.”

“I’m not even awake for two days and I’m already tired of being stuck here”, Obi-Wan grumbled.

Satine knew that the jedi master didn’t admit that he wasn’t feeling well very often. Of course, she asked for his uprightness but still hearing him talk like this was almost disheartening. On the other hand, he almost sounded like himself when he complained about the healing halls.

“I’m sure Master Che is doing her best.”

Snorting, Obi-Wan lifted an eyebrow. “That almost sounds like you’re in league with the healers now.”

“Now you accuse me of treachery, Obi-Wan”, Satine laughed heartly.

“Who knows”, he chuckled, “but yes, I guess you’re right. Master Che said that she wanted to start with therapy tomorrow.”

That was good. It meant that the healers already had a plan to help Obi-Wan in his recovery. Satine knew that he had never been a person to sit still and even if he always hated flying, travelling and visiting other planets were things the man loved by heart. It would be terrible if he were to be stuck at the temple. The war just had to end. As Satine had seen it in Obi-Wan and Anakin, even in Ahsoka, who was just a teenager, the war was slowly tearing the jedi's fibers apart. It was easy to lose one's humanity on the way. She could just hope that at the end of all this more than an empty shell remained. That’s why she chose to become a pacifist, not just because of the violence but also because of what it to people. Sadly, especially the Mandalorians had an history with taking the bloody way out.

Despite not being physically there, Obi-Wan seemed to catch on her sudden absentness.

“How are things on Mandalore, Satine?”, he asked seriously, tilting his head slightly in a gesture she knew so well. The jedi was worried for her.

The blonde bit her lip and averted her gaze. It was true that she had won the debate with the senate. But that didn’t mean that her people weren’t aggravated by Death Watches’ actions. There had been tumults all over Mandalore, people were demanding a new leader as she failed to protect them. Others were affiliating with the ‘Old Mandalorian’ way now and Satine had to fight hard to keep her supporters.

“We’ve won the debate but that didn’t stop the avalanche that was kicked off…my people are losing their faith in me, Obi-Wan”, she said defeated. Inwardly she didn’t know what to do and somehow, she even started to doubt her ability to guide Mandalore.

“You have done so much good”, he smiled genuinely this time, “Changing things that are deeply rooted inside a system is always difficult. But if someone can weather this storm, then it’s you, Satine. I believe in you. Like many others do as well. And as I told Anakin before… I’ll have your back when you need me.”

“Thanks, Obi.”

She watched how he propped himself up on the bed and disentangled his hand from one of the cables which apparently got caught as he moved.

“I missed you.”

Obi-Wan stopped fiddling with the cables and looked her in the eye. Even though the video quality was rather poor, Satine could tell that a trace of happiness mirrored in his eyes.

“I miss you too, Satine. I wish I could see you.”

“I promise to visit you as soon as I can. To say that we both had to wait long enough is an understatement in my opinion.”

“Well, more for you I think", he chuckled, “I've been asleep the whole time.”

That brought something up inside of Satine's mind. A question she had asked herself since she had left Coruscant half a year ago.

“Can I ask you something?”

Obi-Wan furrowed his brows in confusion and shrugged his shoulders. “ ‘Course, just ask.”

“Do you remember something from the time you were in the coma?”

The lines of irritation sunk even deeper into his face. “Other than that Sith lord trying to pick my mind apart? No, I don't think so. Why? Should I remember something?”, he asked dryly.

So, he didn't knew about her talking to him. Good. That would have been awkward to explain. “I was just curious. Never mind.”

Obi-Wan didn't seem to be convinced by that, but didn't object. “If you say so.”

Another hint that he was more tired and exhausted than he let on. Normally he wouldn't have let her of the hook that easy. He wasn’t the Negotiator for nothing. But maybe his talk with Anakin had worn him down and he didn’t want to start another fight.

For once she was glad, he didn’t pry further. Although she was sure that Obi-Wan already knew what she was feeling for him. Since the bond formed between them back when they had been kids, Satine knew that they weren’t really able to hide their feelings from each other. At least that was true for her part. Obi-Wan was a master in sealing his emotions.

After a while he cleared his throat and shifted again in front of the camera. “Well, I won’t keep you up any longer than necessary. I’m sorry I woke you up but I didn’t want to wait any longer.”

“No, no, it’s alright”, Satine quickly interjected, “I’m glad you called. I won’t need to worry anymore now.”

Obi-Wan smiled before ending the call. “See you soon, Satine. And stay safe.”

“You too, Obi.”

As the hologram flickered off, Satine leaned back in the armchair she had taken residence in. She was filled with relief. Her jedi was safe. At least for now.

The chrono showed 3:00 am. ‘Maybe I should try to catch some sleep, now that I have one thing less to worry about’, she thought to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you know what's coming when Satine and Obi-Wan finally reunite :D  
> I somehow encountered a lack of ideas for the future of this story, so if anyone has ideas or suggestions, feel free to tell me!


	24. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 24!

**Chapter 24 – Dreams**

  
_Three weeks later_

  
“You're doing good.” 

  
Anakin leaned against the door frame from one of the rehabilitation rooms and smiled. He watched as Obi-Wan finished his walking exercise with the help of the physiologist. Despite it only being a few weeks since they started training, his master was improving every day. The healers had equipped him with some sort of bracers for his hands, which were merely more than a pair of gloves. Either way, they did their job. Obi-Wan's hands had stopped trembling a lot and he was finally able to perform some more precise tasks. Sadly, the healers couldn't tell when he would be able to use his hands without the support again.

  
Only time would tell.

  
The bigger problem was to relearn to walk again. They were working on that every day, but as Obi-Wan's knee constantly gave out underneath him due to the previous injury, it was almost impossible to walk without his back bent into one direction. 

  
Anakin had observed his master over the past weeks and had come up with an idea to help. He even talked with Master Che about it and she gave her consent on his plan.

Obi-Wan just didn't know of it yet.

  
The jedi master had flopped down on one of the benches near the walls and stretched his legs cautiously with a grimace. “Not good enough I suppose", he grumbled with exhaustion, “I still can't manage even a few steps on my own.”

  
“Still it's progress", Anakin said as he finally entered the room and approached his friend on the bench. The trainer silently waved his good bye and left the two alone.

  
“I'm tired of hearing this, to be honest”, Obi-Wan admitted and leaned his head against the wall, “everyone keeps telling me this and yet I see no difference from the start.”

  
“Come on, Obi-Wan. Your mood is almost as bad as Master Nu's.” He nudged the man slightly in the shoulder.

  
His friend gave him an exasperated look. “She's just in a bad mood when you're around, Anakin.”

  
“That's not true", he chuckled sheepishly. It wasn't his fault that the shelves in the archives where too high to reach the books without the use of the Force, wasn't it? Well, okay. Maybe he might have knocked one or two shelves over in the progress. ‘Still no need to release her inner dragon on me', Anakin mused.

  
Obi-Wan just shook his head and concealed his grin only half-heartedly. Apparently, he remembered the incident as well. “What are you even doing here, anyway? I thought you were training together with Ahsoka.”

  
“Oh, we did. But then she remembered that she forgot to write her essay for one of her classes till tomorrow.”

  
“Sounds familiar. She's coming after you.”

  
“The difference is that I hadn't remembered to write my essay until the begin of the course.”

  
“You mean you forgot on purpose", Obi-Wan pointed out, “I always told you to do your homework but you still managed to evade them.”

  
Anakin rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatsoever. About the reason why I'm here", he started grinning, ”I have a little surprise for you.”

  
His master lifted an eyebrow. “A surprise?”

  
“Yes, a surprise, master. Come on, I’ll show you.” 

  
“Please don't let it be a droid", Obi-Wan mumbled with a sigh and held his hand up. 

  
“Will you help me for a second?”, he asked and motioned at the wheelchair in the corner with a nudge with his chin.

  
“Sure.” Anakin securely grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him up into a standing position. Obi-Wan swayed on his feet as his strength betrayed him again but Anakin's grip kept him from stumbling. They slowly made their way over to the wheelchair. His master had decided against a hover chair but rather for a traditional chair with wheels. He told him that it at least helped him to train his arms a little this way. The other point was that his master just wasn't a fan of all this high tech technology. Obi-Wan hadn't told him that openly but he knew the man well enough to guess his reasons.

  
After Obi-Wan had situated himself, he looked at him expectantly. “Shall we?”

  
Anakin nodded and started leading the way. “It's in my workshop.”

  
“I swear if it's a…”, he heard his master grumble behind him as he pushed himself forward with the wheelchair.

  
“It's not a droid, master. Calm down.” He turned to Obi-Wan while strolling on, “and I didn't blew up every droid a build.”

  
“Still enough for my lifetime if you ask me.”

  
“Sure, old man.”

  
“Careful, Anakin.”

  
“Just telling the truth.”

  
He felt Obi-Wan's eyes bore into the back of his head. “You'll regret saying that, I promise you that.”

  
“I'm trembling with fear", Anakin exclaimed mockingly and threw his hands up in a played gesture of shock. 

  
In this moment, the knight didn't knew that he would find his chairs replaced with the plastoid ones in the morning.

  
And he would never find out how Obi-Wan managed to persuade the quartermaster into not returning his original furniture.

  
Master of Trolling, indeed.

  
They made their way over to his small room near the hangar. As they entered, Anakin quickly swept some scattered metal parts up from the floor to make a passage for Obi-Wan. Maybe he should have thought about tidying up beforehand. 

  
Scattered around the walls were a few droids and unfinished star ship models he still hadn't managed to finish yet. At the begin of the war he actually build a model of the Negotiator and gave it to Obi-Wan for his life day. He knew that the ship was still sitting on one of the shelves in Obi-Wan's living room.

  
Still, somehow that one filled him with sorrow because it had been the last thing he gave to his master before their relationship began to tear apart more and more. 

  
Anakin quickly stowed that thought away and focused on the object of matter on the work bench before him. He sat down on the stool in front of the table and motioned for Obi-Wan to come closer. 

  
“Here. Can you take off your brace?”

  
Obi-Wan frowned and looked at him in confusion. “My brace?”, he asked, his eyes ghosting down towards his knee. “Why?”

  
A wide grin spreading on his face, he grabbed the thing from the bench and held it with his hands. “I built you a better one. It's motorized. If everything functions as it should, you may be able to almost walk normal again as soon as the muscles in your legs return.” 

  
His masters eyes went wide as he looked at the new brace. “Wow… Anakin, that's- that's incredible. Thank you.”

  
“You can thank me if it works. Now come on, let's try it out.”

  
The old brace was quickly removed and Anakin started to carefully adjust the new one. “It's going to put a little pressure on your leg, just tell me if it hurts or something, okay?”

  
Obi-Wan just nodded and watched as his former padawan fiddled with it. “How does it work?”

  
Anakin raised an eyebrow but kept on fiddling with the brace. It was unusual that his master showed interest in mechanics. “Well, it works like a kind of exoskeleton", he searched for words to explain it understandable, “the brace is overriding your knee joint, so the weakened bone doesn't has to carry your weight anymore. The difference to your old one is, that through the attached motors it tracks your movement and adjusts to every step you make.”

  
With a last tug he finished adjusting it. “Now it should fit you. Does anything hurt or feel numb?”, Anakin asked while he looked at Obi-Wan who was still studying the brace around his leg with fascination.  
“It feels good, Anakin", he was met with blue-grey eyes which for once were filled with happiness, “really, thank you.”  
The knight smiled, at least he could give something back to his master. He had taken his presence for granted for far to long. 

  
“Do you want to try to stand with it?”

  
Obi-Wan thought about it for a moment. “But just shortly. I’m afraid that I'm still exhausted from the therapy.”

  
Anakin helped him up again. His master was still leaning heavily on him, but that was to be expected as the strength was still missing. Still, he could already see that Obi-Wan was standing a little straighter then before. As they took a small step forward, the soft surring of the motors was to be heard. 

  
“It seems that it works, Anakin", Obi-Wan said, “I'm again impressed by your mechanical skills.”

  
“Thanks, master", Anakin was filled with pride, finally he did something right. Since their talk a few weeks ago, they had somehow danced around the subject of Qui-Gon again and again. Neither of them wanted to talk about it, afraid to hurt the other.

  
The jedi master slowly sat back down in his wheelchair and glanced at the chrono on the wall. “I think I should get back to the healing halls or Master Che will start to hunt me down again. She would never let me leave if it comes to that.”

  
“Sure, master. I'll accompany you there", Anakin laughed. Both men left his workshop and made their way through the temple. 

  
The walked without talking until Obi-Wan addressed him again. “How is Padme?”

  
He still wasn't used to his master knowing. Even though he should be, Anakin knew that deep down. Obi-Wan had been nothing but honest with him lately. 

  
“She's doing good. I'm still worried though.” 

  
He heard Obi-Wan stopping behind him. “Worried about what, Anakin? She's healthy, isn't she?”

  
‘Trust him'. The Force whispered inside his head. The knight sighed and turned around to face his master. “I've been having dreams… of Padme dying in childbirth.”

  
“Since when do you have these dreams?”, his friend asked concerned.

  
Anakin shrugged with his shoulders. “Dunno, I think they started a few months ago.”

  
Obi-Wan hummed and furrowed his brows in thought. “Have you talked to the doctors? Concerning hers' and the children’s health?”

  
“Yeah, they said they were doing fine and they aren't expecting complications.”

  
He watched as his master’s face scrunched up and the man seemed to think about something. “I can practically see the gears turning inside your head, Obi-Wan. What's on your mind?”

  
The frown still not leaving his face, the jedi master looked up at him. “It’s just a hunch but I have a feeling that these aren't normal visions. More like they're induced by something.”

  
“I don't think I can follow, master.”

  
“Think about it, Anakin. Half a year ago, we find out that there's a Sith lord here on Coruscant who is trying to get to you. First by attempting to get rid of me and now in making you think that Padme's life is in danger. At least for me, the Force is feeling incredible dark like I have never experienced before. Someone, most likely our Sith lord, is planting these visions inside your head on purpose, Anakin.”

  
The knight swallowed heavily and crossed his arms. There was truth in Obi-Wans's words, he could feel it. Still that didn't keep him from worrying.

  
“What should I do then?”

  
“Maybe you should leave for some time. Stay with Padme, at least until the children are born. Make sure she's okay. And be wary of your surroundings.”

  
“And what should I tell the council about my sudden leave? Me and Ahsoka were due to move back out onto the battle fields. Also, I don't like the idea of Ahsoka going alone or with another jedi other than you or Master Koon.”

  
“Then disguise it as a mission. Everyone knows that you two are close. And as the Sith lord seems to attack especially people who are close to you, it is only logically to set up a protection for senator Amidala.”

  
“But why should they send me for this? They already said that I'm one of their most valued generals. I doubt they will spare me for this.”

  
“Because Padme doesn't trust anybody. She will request a jedi she knows. That would be me or you. I'm not cleared for missions yet, so that task would fall on you.”

  
Anakin sighed. “I hope you're right. And what about Ahsoka?”

  
“Don't worry about the council, if they make trouble, I’ll handle it. Your padawan could stay with me if she wants to”, Obi-Wan proposed, “Master Che said that she might release me under the condition that I return for regular checkups, keep up with my training and I'm not alone all the time, in case something happens.”

  
Thinking about it, the knight really liked the idea. Ahsoka would be safe at the temple together with his master and he could make sure his family was alright. “That would be great. Thanks, Obi-Wan.”

  
The jedi master smiled shortly and began to push himself forward again. “Then let's get going, you have a lot to prepare I think.”

  
The duo made their way back to the healing halls, where a disgruntled Master Che was already waiting for the jedi master. “Kenobi, I see you've finally returned.”

  
Before the man could open his mouth to defend himself, Anakin spoke up. “It's my fault that we're late. I wanted to give him the new brace.”

  
Her eyes cast down to the contraption around Obi-Wan's leg. “I see", she sounded actually impressed, ”good work, Skywalker.” Her gaze swept back up to them then. “I'll give the two of you a pass for today. But if it happens again", the Twi'lek turned to the jedi master with a pointed look, “I may have to rethink about releasing you again.”

  
Obi-Wan held up his hands in surrender. “It won't happen again", he said with a grin.

  
“I'll hold it up to you.” With that the head healer went back to her work, leaving the two jedi for themselves.

  
Anakin trailed behind his friend as they entered his room. “I can't believe you just lied to Master Che”, he chuckled.

  
“What?”, the jedi master huffed as he heaved himself from the chair onto his bed, “do you prefer that I'm honest with her? ‘It will happen again and again, Master Che. As soon as one of us is out of that door, we won't return'.” 

  
“I want a holo of that face.”

  
“Careful what you wish for, Anakin. I think that will haunt you even more than Master Nu”, Obi-Wan laughed.

  
He smiled on that thought and leaned over the railing on the foot of the bed. “I actually almost forgot to ask you something.”

  
“Ask me what?”

  
“What's your plan with Satine now? I know you two are talking regularly.”

  
“You know that you're a bold one, hm?”, Obi-Wan snorted humorously, “but yes, you're right. She actually is going to visit in a few weeks.” 

  
“So?”, Anakin asked innocently, “are you going to do it then?”

  
“I'll see.”

  
The knight's eyes widened. “You'll see? Come on, Obi-Wan. That lady has been waiting for so long now.”

  
His master's eyes narrowed a little and Anakin was sure he felt a little anger which faded again quickly. “I know, Anakin", Obi-Wan sighed, “but when I’m doing it I want to do it properly. Which means I at least want to be able to stand and walk on my own.”

  
‘Oh.’ Anakin mentally slapped himself. Now he felt bad for pushing his friend. Of course the man was right, it wasn't every day that you make a proposal to the woman you want to spend your life with.

  
“Sorry. I haven't thought about that. I just wanted the two of you to be happy.”

  
He spoke with complete honesty, every time Obi-Wan looked at Satine, Anakin saw that shining eyes he knew he got as well when he was with Padme. 

  
“I know. Maybe you shouldn't let your wife wait any longer. It's not like I'm running away anytime soon.”

  
The knight swallowed. Obi-Wan was closing himself off again. He shouldn't have mentioned the proposal. How stupid of him. After such an ordeal those things weren't the first one's you would think about. 

  
“Will you be alright?”, he asked then.

  
“I'll be fine", Obi-Wan’s smile didn't really reach his eyes, “don't worry about me. Now get yourself moving before the council crosses your plans.”

  
“Sure, Obi-Wan", he tapped on the railing in front of him shortly but then pushed himself backwards. “See you.”

  
With that he left his friend's room and went to prepare himself. He thought about his talk with Obi-Wan. The Force had become dark, Anakin could feel that now. The Sith lord. Planted visions. So many things were swirling inside his head.

  
Anakin couldn't really discern what was real anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The darkness may come closer than our jedi like. I've got a few ideas now :D  
> Let me know what you think!  
> Comments or kudos are always appreciated :)


	25. Who to Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 25! I never thought that there would be so many chapters :D  
> Anyway, thanks for reading!

**Chapter 25 – Who to Trust**

Ahsoka parried the swing with her lightsaber and pivoted herself upwards. She somersaulted right over her master’s head and landed behind him light-footed. The girl smiled, now was her chance. Anakin may be an exceptional fighter but he lacked the agility she possessed.

The jedi knight swirled around and the teenager ducked low, moving underneath the blue blade. She deactivated both her lightsaber and shoto for a moment, getting down on all fours. Using her momentum, she faked a kick at her master’s legs, making the man jump up. Instead, the Tortuga used the Force the instant Anakin’s feet left the ground and yanked with all her might.

To her surprise, the plan worked. Her master actually lost his balance and toppled backwards. The padawan didn’t waste a second to finish the fight. She vaulted right after him and activated her blades again. Both her feet made contact with his chest as he crumbled to the floor on his back. Blue eyes blinked up at her, as she held her lightsabers crossed underneath his chin.

“I won, master.” A toothy grin spread over her face.

“Yeah, good job, Snips”, Anakin mumbled, but somehow, he sounded distracted. Ahsoka frowned and got off her master’s chest, clipping her weapons to her belt.

“You didn’t even try, didn’t you?”, she asked disappointed. Anakin wouldn’t normally fall for such a trick, except something was occupying his mind.

The padawan knew that her master was about to finally leave for Senator Amidala after everything had been settled with the council. Yet, she had insisted on one last spar as she didn’t know when they get the next chance to do so in the future.

He got up from the floor and dusted himself off. He then looked at her apologetically.

“I’m sorry, ‘Soka. It’s just-“, he sighed and his shoulders slumped, “I don’t really know what to do.”

“What do you mean?”, she asked puzzled, “I thought the council approved of your request.”

Anakin shook his head. “It’s not the council.”

The knight averted his gaze and bit his lip. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone.”

Ahsoka could do little to hide her irritation. “What? But I’ll be staying here together with Master Kenobi. I don’t see a reason for you to worry about me.”

She tilted her head and searched her master’s presence in the Force, when it dawned on her.

“You’re lying.” The slight flinch of his shoulder’s was enough confirmation for her thesis.

“What aren’t you telling me, master?”

He looked at her again intently. “The chancellor requested to see me.”

“The chancellor? Why?”

“I don’t know. He just said that he wanted to talk with a friend.”

Ahsoka hummed in response. “Have you told Master Kenobi?”

“No. You know how much he dislikes Palpatine.”

“He’s sticking his nose in jedi affairs. Of course, the council doesn’t like him.”

Anakin’s eyes darkened a little. “Careful, Snips. He’s still a friend of mine.”

“If he’s just a friend like you say”, Ahsoka wasn’t backing down now, even if she angered her master, “then why are you so worried about his request?”

“It’s nothing.” Anakin was such a bad liar. Something didn’t sit right with him on the thought of meeting Palpatine again. She knew that the man must have sensed something but he wasn’t telling her.

“Stop lying.”

“Watch your tongue, Ahsoka. I’m still your master.”

“A master shouldn’t try to lie to his padawan or keep secrets!”, she bursted out. After all they’ve been through Anakin was doing it again. And she hated it. She had thought she had proven herself enough to gain his trust. But apparently no one had really earned that. 

“I’m going to see Master Kenobi now. If you change your mind, you know where to find me. Otherwise, I wish you luck with whatever you’re doing.”

Ahsoka didn’t wait for a reply and left the training room, leaving her master behind. The padawan did nothing to conceal her anger.

She would never understand the connection between Master Skywalker and the chancellor. The man’s presence had always made her feel uncomfortable. For her, Palpatine felt null in the Force, like he wasn’t even alive.

It unnerved her. Either her master was turning a blind eye to that fact or he didn’t sense it, which was something she couldn’t really believe.

People didn’t call him the Chosen One for nothing.

\----

He was losing Skywalker again. The boy had been so close to fall into his arms if it weren’t for his stupid master. His apprentice had failed miserable at wiping Kenobi off the radar. Even more, the jedi master had managed to counter Dooku’s attack and addle the Count’s mind.

The man had been useless to him afterwards.

Palpatine didn’t need a useless apprentice, so he got rid of Dooku.

He had to focus on the task at hand. Get into Skywalker’s head. Make him distrust his master again.

The chancellor sat at his desk and put his hands on his face in thought. The jedi were insufferable, he had to get rid of them, one way or another.

The question was how.

Requesting Skywalker’s presence was one step in his plan. He knew that the jedi knight had started to question his motifs. After Kenobi’s mishap concerning Dooku, he hadn’t been convincing enough to say at last.

His mask had slipped for a few seconds, revealing his glee about the option of killing Kenobi. Of course, Skywalker had latched on to that. The young man just wasn’t clever enough to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The only one with enough braincells to figure him out might be Kenobi, as he miraculously survived his direct attack on his mind. If he found the trace back to him in his mind, Palpatine might have a problem.

It was time to erase the doubt from the boy’s mind. He would handle the jedi master in the process.

A knock on the door to his office alerted him of a new presence. One of his guards stepped into the room and bowed slightly.

“Knight Skywalker has arrived, chancellor.”

Palpatine nodded shortly. “Send him in. You may leave us alone.”

“As you wish.” The man sidestepped to let the jedi enter and then left the room, closing the door behind him.

“Anakin, my boy!” He set up one of the earnest smiles he could muster and approached the knight with open arms. “Have a seat, please”, he gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“Thank you, chancellor.” The jedi was holding himself rather stiff and reserved. Like he was suspecting something. He needed to change that.

As the jedi took his seat, Palpatine followed swiftly. “Can I offer you a drink?”

“Uh, no. Thanks.” The young man shook his head and tried to smile politely. Apparently, the man was still alerted. Ready to spring into action any second.

“Very well.” So, he had to worm his way into his head without him noticing. That would have been much easier if the man had accepted his offer to drink.

Time for more drastic methods, then.

“How’s your master?”, he asked lightly, “The last thing I heard was that it wasn’t looking good for him.”

Skywalker shifted in his seat and fidgeted with his fingers. A sign of nervousness. Insecurity. He could work with that, he just had to push these feelings further.

“He's doing better, I suppose”, was all he said.

“I can see that something is bothering you, Anakin. You know you can tell me. Your secrets are safe with me”, he said fatherly. “Did you have another argument with Master Kenobi?”

Blue eyes shot up to meet his gaze. “It wasn't an argument.”

Hit. He got Skywalker on the hook now.

“You're your own man, Anakin. He shouldn't have the authority to control you anymore.”

“He's not controlling me”, the knight interjected instantly.

Interesting. Now he's defending the old man. Quite some change to before.

“It's just-", the jedi turned his head away, “I might have hurt him again unintentionally.”

“I understand if you don't want to talk about it. But sometimes it is better to get your worries of your chest.” Palpatine stood up from his seat and got himself a glass of Correllian whiskey. “You sure you don't want some?”, he asked again offering the man a glass.

Reluctantly, the glass was taken from his hand. Palpatine smiled again and filled his guest's drink a little fuller than necessary.

He placed the bottle on the desk and sat down again, swirling the liquid inside his glass. “I'm always here to listen if you want to talk.”

Palpatine watched as Anakin took a small sip from his drink. He almost laughed as the knight pulled a face. The boy certainly wasn't much of a drinker.

Skywalker seemed to think about something for a while. “ I think I pushed him to far. It wasn't my place to stick my nose into his affairs”, he offered then.

“With due respect, Anakin, but as far as I know he stuck his nose into your affairs far more often.”

He could feel that he was on the right track. Just a little further.

Taking another swig from the whiskey, the knight shook his head. “Yeah, but not like this. He was barely recovered from his coma and I bugged him about his proposal.”

“Proposal? I’d never thought Master Kenobi would be the one to break the code. Who's the lucky woman?”, he didn't need to fake his surprise this time.

“Duchess Satine.” The words slipped from Skywalker's lips without a second thought. Realizing his mistake, Palpatine watched as the jedi's eyes went wide. “No one is allowed to know that", he quickly added, now visible nervous.

“Like I said before, your secret is safe with me”, he assured him.

Duchess Satine Kryze. He had only seen the woman once during her speech in the senate in order to defend Mandalore. A strong woman indeed. But she wasn't what he needed to make Skywalker fall. That didn't mean that the good duchess might not be caught in the crossfire of course.

Anakin swallowed thickly. “Thank you, chancellor.”

Time to lead their conversation in a different direction. “What about your padawan? The girl surely isn't unaffected by this whole ordeal.”

“Ahsoka's strong. She can handle it.”

“Of course, I didn't want to imply anything. I just heard that you're leaving for a mission without her.”

Palpatine knew exactly that the knight was sent to protect the pregnant senator. But it was easier to make the man disclose this information voluntarily.

Anakin emptied his glass. “She deserves a break after all. I let her stay at the temple together with Obi-Wan.”

“I see.” Palpatine lifted his own glass to his mouth and smiled unnoticeable. So Kenobi was in charge of looking after the girl for now.

A plan was already forming in his head. Skywalker was deeply attached to the girl, it would tear him apart if something were to be happening to her.

The man would never trust Kenobi again, if the jedi failed to protect the padawan. Such a pity.

Now he only needed the one to fulfill his plan. And that one was still waiting in the undergrounds of Coruscant. He would set his plan in motion right after Skywalker left.

As if on cue, the knight set his glass back on the table. “I think I should go now. It's getting late and duty calls. Thank you for your invitation.”

“Of course, my boy. Thank you for accepting my invitation.” He walked the man to the door of his office and waved him goodbye.

Good. He got what he needed. Showtime.

He took his black robe and slipped out of the senate building, unnoticed by his guards. Pulling the dark hood over his face, a dark and evil grin adorned his features. His eyes shone a sickly yellow, but that was covered by the darkness provided by his disguise.

His destination were the lower levels. He took one of the turbo lifts and stepped out onto the discarded, narrow alleys. Here and there were people sitting in the corners, either high on death sticks or to miserable to notice him passing by.

Sidious didn't care about his surroundings and took the straight way to one of the warehouses. He didn't bother with opening the door manually but just used the Force to open him the pathway. The Sith lord stepped down one of the rusty stairs, down into one of the moldy and damp cellars. He had to duck his head slightly as he approached a iron door at the back of the hall. He had sealed it shut with the Force. No one but him possessed the power to open it.

The door was burst open with a swift motion. The insides were scattered with claw marks. A desperate and pitiful attempt. The monster had learned it's place over the time.

As he stepped into the small room, a sharp, shrieking sound was to be heard as metal scraped over the stone floor. Yellow, bloodshot eyes stared back at him in the darkness, accompanied by labored breathing.

“You're time has come, Maul.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our Sith lord makes his move. Let's see how the jedi respond.   
> Tell me what you think! I always love reading the comments :)


	26. Just This Once

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I certainly broke a personal record with this chapter's length...  
> Disclaimer: I don't own the rights for the song used in this chapter!

**Chapter 26 – Just This Once**

„Don’t strain yourself too much or you’ll be back here in no time.”

“Yes.”

“I’m serious, Obi-Wan.” Master Che was standing in front him with a stern expression, hands on her hips.

The jedi master sighed. It became exhausting to hear the same drill over and over again. He knew his limits. He just wanted to go home.

“I know, Master Che. Can I go now, please?” Obi-Wan had been waiting for hours, the medics had been running some final tests, clearing him ready for his release. Both his legs were dangling over the side of his hospital bed, ready to jump to his feet.

Well, if he could do so, at least. His strength had improved a lot over the past few days, the new brace was doing an extraordinary job. Anakin was really gifted concerning mechanics. Still, he was not able to walk completely without support. The only advantage was that the wheelchair was exchanged against his crutches. He was back at standing upright again.

A small step, but better than nothing. Obi-Wan could walk small distances on his own, he was limping but it was progress. At least the pain had lessened to a minimum, he was optimistic to get rid of it completely in the next months.

The head healer was studying him again before handing him his papers. “Okay then. I’ll see you in the next days for the checkups.”

Nodding, the jedi pressed his lips into a thin line and forced a small smile. Freedom.

Tucking the papers into his robes, he got to his feet and limped over to the corner of the room, where he had left his crutches. ‘Just get out of this hellhole’, he mused to himself as he adjusted his grip.

Obi-Wan turned around and faced the Twi’lek healer again. “I should thank you, I guess.” ‘For saving my life. For being there for Satine.’ The unspoken words hung in the air, but the Force sang with truth. Master Che had gone way beyond her duties as a healer.

“I was just doing my job”, the woman said with a knowing smile.

He huffed at that and shook his head. “We both know you did more than that. So… if you need anything, just tell me.” It was the least he could do.

Master Che snorted. “How about you and the rest of your lineage tries to stay out of my healing halls for once in a while?”, she chuckled, turning towards the door, “You would spare me a lot of work.”

Obi-Wan watched as she disappeared in the hallway and lowered his head in thought. “Yeah, as soon as this blasted war ends”, he mumbled sadly.

The jedi master left the halls a short time later, slowly trailing through the temple. A lot of jedi turned their heads as he passed by. Apparently, the news had made their rounds in the temple. His accident. The coma. The Sith attack. Not that the scar on his head and the brace weren’t obvious enough.

He sighed in surrender and pulled the hood of his robe over his head. Quickening his pace a little, Obi-Wan made his way to his quarters. Just get away from the stares. As he arrived at his front door, he was about to use the biopad when he felt an incredible amount of anger in the Force.

Ahsoka. Whatever she was upset about, the girl was bristling with ill-mannered energy.

“What did Anakin do this time?”, he groaned more to himself. He fixed his gaze on the turbolift on the end of the corridor and waited for the walking inferno to arrive.

It only took a few seconds before the doors opened and a disgruntled Tortuga stepped out.

As the girl stomped towards him, he removed the hood from his head and gave a small smile.

“Who are you trying to kill with this glare, young one?”, he asked bemused.

The padawan’s shoulders slumped a little before she bit out: “It’s Master Skywalker.”

Obi-Wan hummed in response. “I guessed so.” He pressed his hand on the biopad and let the door open. “Come on, get in”, the jedi master said, tilting his head.

Trailing inside behind the padawan, Obi-Wan examined his rooms. To his surprise, almost everything was in the same spot he left it half a year ago. Someone must have been here though, as it looked like the floor and shelves had been cleaned from time to time. Looking inside his kitchen, he also noticed that most of his food had been removed. ‘It wouldn’t have been good anymore either way.’

Ahsoka had flopped down on his couch in the sitting area, arms thrown across her eyes. Obi-Wan had to smile slightly. She didn’t even know how much she and Anakin resembled each other.

He discarded his crutches near the entrance and started to set up the kettle for tea.

“So, you want to talk about it?”, he called from the kitchen, filling their cups. The padawan shifted on the coach and made room for him to sit down. Obi-Wan limped over and placed the cup in her hands, then sat down himself.

Ahsoka pushed herself up a little and pulled her legs to her chest. She traced the rim of the warm cup with her finger and studied the liquid inside.

“Anakin lied to me”, she mumbled, not looking up.

Obi-Wan perked up at that. He had thought they had been over this. “He lied? Why?”

“I don’t know. He was acting strange. Said he had a meeting with the chancellor.”

His brows furrowed. He didn’t like this at all, Palpatine had been a thorn in their side since the beginning of the war. Plus, he always got a chilly feeling when he was near the man. He had felt it the first time he had met him on Naboo all these years ago.

“I don’t like this. Anakin must have sensed something and he isn’t telling us.”

Ahsoka sipped from her tea. “Do you have an idea why he’s not talking?”

“His connection with Palpatine…”, Obi-Wan contemplated about which words to use, “has always been strange and concerning. But everytime I told him about my worries about their relationship, Anakin closed himself off and snapped at me.”

“Sounds just like him. I just can’t believe he doesn’t trust us enough.” The padawan sounded disheartened.

Obi-Wan drank from his own tea and thought about it. He knew that feeling. First Qui-Gon, later Anakin. Somehow, he had never been worthy enough. 

Their conversation was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

“You’re expecting someone?”, Ahsoka asked, craning her neck to get a good look on the door.

“Not that I know of.” The jedi master put down his cup on the small table and got to his feet. He could have used the Force to open the door, but somehow, he didn’t feel like it now. Obi-Wan hobbled over to the pad and pushed the button to reveal their guest on the other side.

\----

She almost had to laugh as she looked at his face. Blue-grey eyes wide open, expression frozen in irritation. Satine knew she maybe should have called beforehand, but after Master Che had told her that Obi-Wan should be released today, she thought that it would be a nice surprise.

It took him a moment before he caught himself again. He began to smile and his eyes lightened up.

“Satine…hey.”

She didn’t waste another second and pulled the man into a hug. It was still hard to believe that he was actually standing in front of her and wasn’t vanishing again right under her grasp. As her arms looped around his chest, Satine felt that he was still way too thin.

“I’ve missed you so much.”

Obi-Wan returned the embrace and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that the stubbles of his beard sported a lot more grey hairs than before. Satine didn’t tease him about it now, it wouldn’t be fair after what he’d been through.

He pulled back slowly. “How about you come in?”

The jedi master stepped aside and Satine entered the apartment, where she noticed Ahsoka observing them from her place on the couch. The girl was grinning over her whole face with delight.

“Ahsoka, it's so good to see you”, she greeted the padawan.

“You as well, duchess.”

“Please, call me Satine.”

The teenager nodded shortly in acknowledgement.

Satine turned back to Obi-Wan, who was still standing somewhere behind here.

“How come Anakin isn't here?” Usually the two of them weren't far apart.

The jedi master huffed and shot a quick glance towards Ahsoka, before his eyes rested again on her. “Anakin's protecting Padme. We have reason to believe that the Sith lord is focusing on people that are close to him.”

The Sith lord. Satine had never really asked what that monster did inside Obi-Wan's head. Not that the jedi necessarily wanted to talk about. He had mentioned the attack briefly in one of their talks but had then stowed the subject away.

Before she could ask him, Obi-Wan beat her to it. “How did you get inside the temple? Normally, they don't let outsiders roam the temple halls freely.”

The duchess had to chuckle slightly. “Well, I got help from a friend of yours.”

The jedi master lifted an eyebrow in confusion. “A friend? As far as I know Master Plo is out on the front lines.”

“It wasn't Master Koon”, she smiled, Obi still didn't have a clue, “but a child hood friend of yours.” Satine had only met the man briefly before but she knew that he understood how to get on Obi-Wan's nerves.

“You're speaking in riddles, Satine,” he said, even more lost.

“Okay, let's see. Who's the jedi who's annoying you the most?”

Obi-Wan snorted. “Is that really a question? You know it's Anakin.”

Rolling her eyes, Satine sighed. “Apart from your lineage, Obi.”

The man shrugged. “I don't know. Master Windu? I don't see where you are going with this.”

“Try again.” It was so funny to see him tapping in the dark.

He groaned and threw his head back. “Do I even want to know?”

“Come on, Obi. There aren't that many that drive you insane.”

“That's a good joke", Obi-Wan sighed exasperated, “my last guess is Quinlan Vos, but I haven't seen him in years. The last thing I heard was that he left the order.”

“Nevertheless, your guess is right. I ran into him by accident and he snuck me into the temple. He's here on Coruscant.”

He blinked at her with wide eyes. “… I didn't know that”, he mumbled absently, “did he say something? Where has he been all the time?”

Satine shrugged. “He didn't say, I'm afraid. But he asked me to give this to you.” She held a small piece of flimsi out to him.

Obi-Wan took the paper from her hand hesitantly and unfolded it. Something was written on it in messy letters, but Satine couldn't discern what it was from her spot. A small smile crept over his face, as he read the short message. After that he folded it neatly and let it disappear in his robes.

“What did he write?” Curiosity got the better of her.

The jedi master grinned. “He told me where to find him.”

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a small voice chiming in. Ahsoka. The girl had watched them the whole time and Satine somehow felt a little sorry for letting her out of the topic.

“I don't know about you, but I start to feel rather hungry.”

Satine chuckled, apparently it was a habit of all padawans to be constantly hungry. She knew that Obi-Wan had quite the appetite himself when he was younger. But the girl was right, it was turning dark outside and she could take a few bites to eat as well.

She eyed Obi-Wan who was shaking his head in amusement at Ahoska's statement.

“Do you have an idea, Obi?”

“Well, as my kitchen is more than empty right now and I guess that Anakin's apartment isn't equipped much better, we either order something or eat outside.”

Immediately, Ahsoka's eyes lit up with excitement. “Can we go to Dex', please? It's been so long since we've been there!”

Satine almost felt it in her own skin that Obi-Wan wasn't really keen on the idea just by watching his face twist marginally. Which was understandable. The Sith lord. The media. Even the jedi themselves. They were watched from all corners and it prickled on his skin uncomfortable. Still, she didn't want to deny the padawan her wish, as she deserved some down time after all as well.

“Come on, Obi”, she whispered to him,” we’ll be fine. It's just for this one evening.”

His blue eyes were filled with concern and uneasiness as they locked on hers. He held her gaze for a few seconds before his shoulders sagged in defeat and he nodded in acknowledgement.

“Fine, but we should go there in civilian clothes. Don't need attract more attention than necessary”, he sighed wearily.

“Thank you, master!”, Ahsoka exclaimed excitedly, “I'll get changed and meet you at the exit.”

Before either of them could say something, the Tortuga was already out of the door.

“She’s got quite some energy", Satine chuckled, looking at the door.

“Mhm", Obi-Wan grumbled, “I don't get grey hairs from nothing.”

The man limped past her and made his way towards his room, probably to change. As she observed him, she noticed that he was wearing a new brace but still seemed to have trouble with walking.

“Should you walk that long?”, she called after him.

“I'm fine", came the clipped reply from next door, “just don’t start bugging me about it as well, okay?”

If she didn't know him better, Satine might have been offended by his attitude. But she could imagine that it must become exhausting to hear the same thing over and over.

Obi-Wan emerged from his room a few minutes later. She had seen him in civilian attire before but nevertheless it never ceased to amaze her how different he looked. The jedi had donned a pair of dark grey trousers, black boots, a white long sleeve shirt and a dark brown leather jacket with a beige hood.

“You ready to go?”, he asked with a pressed smile, while he approached her.

Satine knew that the idea still didn't sit well with him. “Obi, if you're not comfortable with…”

“No, it's okay”, Obi-Wan shook his head, “you're right. Ahsoka deserves some sense of normality. I'm probably just on edge today.”

He grabbed his crutches by the door and waited for her. “Let's not keep her waiting.”

“Sure.” She didn't like that Obi-Wan had ignored his bad feeling. Usually, the man had an eye for lurking danger. Maybe she should not have convinced him to go out.

They went through the temple halls which where surprisingly quiet and empty. The soft clicking sound accompanied their steps as Obi-Wan pushed himself forward on the crutches. Somehow the sound reminded her of their escape from Concordia. That hadn't been a good day to say at last.

They picked Ahsoka up near one of the temple's back exits and made their way to one of the lower levels taking one of the public transports. Satine had never been there before but she longed for one evening to forget her worries as well.

They had luck, no one seemed to recognize them yet. The flight didn't take long so after a few minutes the trio stepped out on the streets again.

Satine was surprised how crowded and cramped the streets were, also it was a lot darker down here. She felt Ahsoka tug her forwards. “Come, the diner is just around the corner.” The padawan obviously didn't mind all the figures observing them from the corners. Maybe she was becoming paranoid too.

Obi-Wan was somewhere trailing behind the two women, observing his surroundings with a slight frown.

As they reached the diner's door Satine stopped shortly to speak to him. Ahsoka already slipped inside. One could already hear her chattering with a Besalisk, probably Dex.

“What is it?”, she asked as the jedi master finally caught up to her.

The man's face scrunched up and he looked back shortly. “…I don't know. I thought I saw someone I knew.”

He was worried and confused at the same time, Satine knew immediately.

“So, what's the catch?”

His blue eyes glistened coldly. “The man I believed I saw is dead.”

“Obi…”, she began but was interrupted.

“Just let us get inside", he quipped, opening the door for her, “apparently my mind is playing tricks on me”, he added distantly.

Satine wasn't convinced at all but stepped inside. Ahsoka had taken residence on one of the tables in the corner. The girl was still talking with the Besalisk.

As she and Obi-Wan approached them, the host turned around and smiled widely at Obi-Wan.

“Obi-Wan! Long time no see, my friend!” Before the jedi could object, four strong arms looped around him and pulled him in a hug. The man almost stumbled as he lost his balance on the crutches.

“Dex…it's good to see you too", he pressed out, “but can you please stop crushing me?” Satine and Ahsoka were giggling silently on the scene before them.

The Besalisk let him down again and Obi-Wan took a deep breath.

“Thanks, Dex.”

The four-armed man smiled again before he took a closer on his friend.

“What happened?”, he asked, noticing the new scar and the leg injury.

Obi-Wan shrugged. “Made a mistake", he said bitterly.

Dex understood that as the sign to not press further on the subject. He motioned for them to sit down. “What can I bring you?”

They slipped onto the bench, with her sitting on the window. Obi-Wan laid the crutches under the table and maneuvered his knee in position, careful not to bump it on the tabletop.

All three of them ordered their menus and the Besalisk disappeared into the kitchen.

Satine turned her attention to Ahsoka. “Do you come here often?”, she queried.

“We used to”, the girl answered, “but we didn't have much time on planet lately.”

She glanced at Obi-Wan and noticed that the man was pursing his lips. Was he feeling guilty about that fact? Satine nudged him slightly in the side. “Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault.”

He lifted an eyebrow and watched her with disbelief. “Is that so now? The last time you were lecturing me about the fact that the jedi were no peacekeepers no more.”

She winced. Of course, Obi-Wan was right. That hadn't been fair from her. He had always tried his best. “I'm sorry.”

Obi-Wan hummed in response and grabbed his drink, which had just been placed on their table by one of the waiters. He sipped at his ale and continued observing the diner.

“Master?”, Ahsoka asked after a moment.

He perked up and looked at the padawan sat across from him. “What is it, Little One?”

“Would you mind to…?”, she nudged her chin at something in the back of the room.

Both her and Obi-Wan twisted their backs to see what she meant. Satine chuckled as she caught eye of the object of interest.

The jedi master jerked around just as quickly and shook his head. “Oh, no no no, I'm way to sober for this”, he said in denial, crossing his arms.

The padawan's eyes grew big as she started pleading. “Please master, you promised to show us!”

“I agreed on showing you, yes. But not playing in a full diner.”

“You're underestimating your talent, Obi", Satine chimed in then, “come on, there is no harm done.”

“I haven’t played for over a decade, Tine. So, my answer is no.”

“I never took you for one to shy away from a challenge.”

“I don't see the challenge here", he bit back.

“Come on, just this once", Ahsoka tried.

Obi-Wan let his eyes shift between the two women before he groaned defeated, letting his head flop back. “Fine.”

The padawan jumped up instantly and went to grab the instrument.

While Ahsoka was at it, the jedi master turned towards her. “Sometimes I really hate it when you do that.”

Satine shrugged. “You could use some time to forget your troubles for once.”

He wasn’t really convinced by that, but didn’t have time to object, as the guitar was placed into his hands.

It was old, Satine could tell that just by looking at it, but in well condition. Obi-Wan began to tune the instrument. “This one hasn’t been played in a long time”, he mumbled as he adjusted one of the strings.

“Good thing you relieve it from its misery now.”

“Ha ha.”

After a few minutes he seemed to be content with his measurements and looked at them.

“There are only two songs I know at the moment. The first is the one I played when we were on Mandalore”, he said, eyeing Satine, “the other is a song I learned during one of my travels from an old man. He said it originated from an ancient world we only ever heard legends about.”

Satine remembered the song, it had been the one he learned on Melida/Daan. It was about the war and what it did to the soldiers.

“I think we should let Ahsoka decide”, she said then, smiling at the padawan.

The girl beamed up and thought about it. “I’d like to hear the song you learned from the old man.”

“Of course, you would pick the hard one”, Obi-Wan huffed, but flashed a smile, “but as you wish.”

It took him a few tries before he got a hang on the melody. The song had a certain edge and both her and Ahsoka were immediately caught by the sound.

They were even more astonished as he started singing. Satine thought she knew his voice but it had changed so much over the years. His voice had been lighter and clearer when she heard him sing the last time.

Now it had darkened a little and it broke at some points, making it sound raspy. She certainly liked it.

_“I was a highwayman_

_Along the coach roads I did ride_

_With sword and pistol by my side…”_

Obi-Wan sunk deeper into his tune, oblivious to his surroundings.

_“…Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade_

_The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five_

_But I am still alive…”_

The people around them had stopped talking and were watching the trio in the corner. The jedi master, to the observing eye just a man with a guitar, had caught their attention in a few seconds.

_“...I was a sailor_

_I was born upon the tide_

_And with the sea I did abide…”_

It felt so good to hear him sing again after all these years. Obi-Wan lost his Coruscanti accent whenever he sang. The otherwise so clear voice earned its roughness, but also kept its warmth.

_“…I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow_

_And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed_

_But I am living still…”_

Ahsoka was drawn to her grandmaster's performance. Her blue eyes were shining with awe. They had lost their dimmed expression for once.

_“…I was a dam builder_

_Across the river deep and wide_

_Where steel and water did collide…”_

Satine noticed that the diner had certainly filled a lot and they had quite the audience. The people were listening to Obi-Wan with interest, some of them sporting small smiles on their faces, lost in thoughts or memories.

_“…I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below_

_They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound_

_But I am still around_

_I'll always be around and around and around and around and around…”_

Obi-Wan paused for a moment and drew a breath, before he set in again.

_“…I'll fly a starship_

_Across the Universe divide_

_And when I reach the other side_

_I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can_

_Perhaps I may become a highwayman again_

_Or I may simply be a single drop of rain_

_But I will remain_

_And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again…”_

He kept playing on the guitar for a few seconds before he ended the song. He had closed his eyes at some time during his performance and as he looked up now, he was more than surprised to find himself in the center of the attention.

Suddenly, a few people started applauding, who were soon to be followed by others. Obi-Wan blushed a little and sat the instrument down next to the bench.

Dex approached them from the open kitchen, their steaming food in his hands. “If I had known that you could sing, my friend", he laughed, “I might have paid you to play for once in a while. You certainly filled my restaurant.” The Besalisk looked around the crowded tables and stools.

He set their food down and flashed a smile. “This goes on the house.”

Obi-Wan was still irritated but managed to answer. “Uh, thank you, Dex.”

They were left alone again and soon the other spectators lost their interest.

“Master, that was awesome!”, Ahsoka grinned, “why did you stop playing?”

\----

That was a good question. Obi-Wan wasn’t really sure about that himself. Maybe it just hurt too much to face his inner demons. Cerasi had given him the guitar with the intention that he would be able to work through his troubles and fears. As the time had passed on, he just hadn’t felt like he could even withstand a second thought on them. And as the guitar had been lost on Melida/Daan, Obi-Wan just started to stomp down his emotions again. He only sang when he felt like it, which was a rare accusation.

He propped himself up on the table with his elbows, taking another swig from his drink.

“I don’t know.”

The padawan was still looking at him with excitement but she seemed to understand that Obi-Wan wouldn’t say more.

“…Will you teach me?”

Obi-Wan studied Ahsoka for a moment. He only noticed now how much calm she was projecting into the Force. The girl was at ease for once.

He would do anything to keep that smile on her face.

“Sure, Ahsoka.”

The jedi master watched how her smile grew a little wider.

He returned the smile and nodded at her food. “Maybe you should start eating before it gets cold.”

Obi-Wan let his gaze wander again before he let it rest on Satine. He was grateful for her presence. Yet, it didn’t help with his uneasy feeling.

It was now completely dark outside. He still wasn’t sure what he had seen. Had it been Maul? It had looked more like a creature than an actual conscious being. But then again there had been these haunting yellow eyes and the toothy grin which had been following since Naboo. He had killed the Sith apprentice. No one could have survived that fall after being cut in half.

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what it was that was lurking outside.

He only knew one thing: It was dangerous and he would do everything to keep it away from his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the song I used is called 'The Highwayman' by Jimmy Webb. There are different versions of this song from different artists. For Obi-Wan's performance I pictured him singing like in the version from The White Buffalo. If you're interested, just check it out :D
> 
> Thanks for reading and the nice comments!  
> As always, let me know what you think about this one :)


	27. Beyond Evil There Is Insanity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for 6000 hits!  
> You really motivate me to keep going :D

**Chapter 27 – Beyond Evil There Is Insanity**

His master had trusted him with this task. He would not fail. Not again.

_‘You’re nothing more than his pathetic pet’_ , the voice inside his head whispered. It had been accompanying him for years now, torturing and mocking him in every second.

_‘I’m your own creation’_ , it chuckled.

“Silence”, Maul hissed and stalked forward, his mechanic lower body screeching in protest as he moved.

_‘You’re weak. You let him control you.’_

“Stop it.”

_‘You’re a monster, a slave.’_

“I said stop it!”, the broken Sith bellowed, grimacing and grabbing his splintered horns. Something was shuffling away from him quickly, further into the dark and twisted alleys of Coruscant. Whether it was a human or just a rat, Maul didn’t care. Heaving, the Zabrak let his amber eyes fix on his surroundings. He had been kept in isolation for over a decade. No light has ever entered his prison except for when his master had visited him to keep him alive. The night’s light was almost blinding in comparison. Maul had thought that he was turning blind as he had been thrown out onto the streets, the occasional bright and blinking city lights too much for his sensory deprived body. It hurt. He had drawn his tattered hood over his head, trying to stay in the shadows.

_‘The darkness has always been your only ally.’_

A small growl escaped from his throat and his claws dug in the wall next to him. While the voice was taunting, it also spoke with truth. Ignoring its constant fluster, Maul hobbled further down the street. It hurt to walk. Kenobi.

_‘Another reminder of your failure.’_

He would break the man. Like the forsaken jedi did break him. Maul sneered and clicked his tongue. He just needed to find a way to get his revenge. Sidious had told him that Kenobi was here on Coruscant, apparently moving down to the lower levels with two companions. A padawan and a woman.

Maul grinned evilly. Kenobi's greatest weakness was his compassion towards others. Tear those close to him apart and the man would shatter into pieces.

The Sith lurked in a dark corner and waited for his targets to arrive. Twisting his force signature, Maul cloaked himself. He could sense Kenobi. His light wasn't burning as bright as it had been on Naboo anymore. The jedi was crumbling on the edges. He just needed to push him over the edge.

Maul watched as one of the public transports arrived.

People of different species exited the vehicle but non of them caught the Sith's attention. Except for an almost unnoticeable trio. Two adult humans and a Tortuga girl. They had disguised themselves as civilians but Maul would always be able to discern a jedi from a non-force sensitive.

His target was this child. The jedi spawn. Despite the girl hid it rather well he could see her weapon glinting in her robe. Skywalker's padawan. That's what his master told him about her. Maul was supposed to get rid of the girl so that Sidious could turn Skywalker against his own master, Kenobi.

He didn't say how he should do it though. Which meant Maul was free to approach this however he liked to. He flashed a smile.

_‘Twice the pride, double the fall.’_

“If I could kill you…”, Maul grumbled to himself, eyes still focused on the group. He didn't need a distraction right now.

He fixed his gaze on the woman the child was talking to. The duchess of Mandalore. Satine Kryze. Apparently the soon to be wife of his archenemy. It would be a shame if the wedding never happened, wouldn't it? Maul would watch with delight as the jedi would break down.

_‘At least he's not alone. Like you.’_

His hands balled into fists at his side and he grinded his teeth. It had never been easy to block the voice out. Its calling had been way to loud and piercing.

Maul observed as the two women went on, apparently to one of the diners. ‘Dex’ Diner' it read in neon letters. But where was Kenobi? He shifted to get a better view on the alley in front of him. A group of teenagers, a couple of elderly Twi'leks, a man with crutches and those shady dealers, who were lurking in the dark corners. Nothing really caught the Sith's eye.

“Strange”, Maul muttered and tapped slightly into the Force. Suddenly, the inconspicuous man with the leg injury stopped and turned towards him.

“It can't be", the Zabrak breathed, voice laced with a little malicious delight. Kenobi. The man who took so much from him all these years ago.

He almost didn't recognize the infamous jedi master.

“How the mighty have fallen.” A raw chuckle escaped his throat. The jedi must have finally met his match. He didn't look intimidating at all, leaning on his walking sticks for support. The man was wearing a hood but Maul was still able to see the small glint of a scar in the night's light.

_‘He's like you.’_

“He will never be like me.”

_‘Right, he still holds his head up high.’_

Maul growled again but didn't retort.

The only thing that was the same as before were those blue eyes which were staring right at him.

The Sith fletched a toothy smile before retreating back into the dark. Kenobi didn't know what he had just seen. After a few seconds, the jedi walked on, joining the woman and the padawan in the diner. Climbing onto one of the roof tops, Maul searched for a spot to watch the trio in the restaurant.

“Say goodbye to your little family, Kenobi", he snickered, while he watched the scene in front of him.

Now it was time for the hunter to wait for its prey.

_A few hours later_

The streets were almost discarded at this hour. Only a few souls were still roaming around the lower levels. Maul had learned to be patient, so he hadn't bothered the long wait. He had taken delight in watching this happy scene only to tear it apart himself.

All three of his targets exited the diner again, the girl still smiling brightly, while the two adults were keeping themselves more reserved.

They made their way over to the transport station, waiting for the next ship together with a few other passengers.

As it finally arrived and they entered the vehicle, Maul took his chance. Taking a deep breath, he let the Dark Side guide his movements. Despite his isolation, he had gathered his strength in the Force as it had been the only constant thing in his life. Apart from the voice that had festered inside his head somewhere along the way. It felt good to have this power flowing through his veins.

_‘A monster which has been let off the leash.’_

Just as the ship lifted up from the ground and began to travel on its route, the Sith crushed one of its engines with a sickening crunch, making the transport tilt sideways and tumbling down towards one of the nearby buildings.

The screeching of bursting metal was music in his ears, as Maul watched how the ship crashed into the lower levels. The scent of smoke filled his nostrils and he could already see a fire starting. Perfect. He licked his teeth and smiled. The few people who were still around began to panic. His playground has been set up. Now it was time to act.

Clouding himself in the upcoming smoke, Maul got closer, careful not to be seen. Most of the passengers had survived and were already climbing out of the wreckage. He watched how his targets had scattered, still searching for each other through the smoke and fire. Good.

The girl had been thrown to the side and was crawling through a smaller hole in the ship's hull. And she was alone.

Maul flexed his fingers, one hand whirring mechanically. His master had cut of his hand as a punishment. He grabbed the blaster at his hip with his robotic hand. He also had his double-bladed lightsaber but he didn't want to attract more attention than necessary to himself. He set it to stun and aimed at the still dazed padawan.

“Stop struggling, little bird”, he hummed and took the shot.

To his surprise, the padawan rolled away in the last second. The girl didn’t know where the attack had come from but she was on alert now. Maul watched how her eyes were searching frantically for the threat but couldn’t find him. He growled in annoyance. So he had to approach things more directly.

He moved like a phantom through the smoke, shielding himself in the Force. The Sith jumped right behind the padawan, making her jump in surprise. Maul saw how she made a grab for her lightsabers, but stopped her hand in a strong, almost crushing Force grip. The girl was emanating fear and panic into the Force. He had to act fast, before she could alert other jedi, maybe even her master.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you”, he growled, eyes shining maniacally. With his other hand he eased the weapons from the jedi’s belt and clipped them on his own hip.

The padawan struggled in his grip and managed to rip herself free for a moment. The girl scowled and actually began to attack him in flurry of well-aimed punches and kicks. The jedi was fast and well-trained but still no match for Maul. The Zabrak caught the foot which almost hit him square on the head and ripped the girl down to the ground. As he advanced on her, she threw a Force push at him but Maul only dug his metal claws into the ground.

Chuckling, he shook his head. “Still don’t know when to give up, I see. Let me show you your place, jedi scum.”

He lifted the girl up by her throat and pulled her close, up to his face. Maul was looking directly into the bright blue eyes, which were filled with despair. He grinned again, showing his sharp tooth. “Sweet dreams, padawan.”

With that he closed his fist further, finally rendering the squirming teen unconscious. He dropped her unceremoniously to the ground. Pulling a pair of cuffs from his belt, he bound her hands behind her back.

Part one accomplished. Now comes part two.

“Ahsoka!”, Maul heard a voice calling out through the smoke.

Kenobi. Everything was going like he planned. He watched how the jedi master jumped through the wreckage, shielding himself from the smoke and fire. The duchess was following close behind.

The Sith hid himself again, dragging the unconscious body along. He took the blaster in his hands again and set it to kill. In the distance, one could already hear the sirens. Authorities were to be arriving soon. Time to finish up here.

He let Kenobi and the duchess draw near before stepping out of the shadows.

“Hello Kenobi”, he growled, twirling the blaster around his metal finger.

The man stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide open underneath the hood.

“You’re dead”, he breathed, “I killed you on Naboo.” Maul noticed how the blonde next to him shot him a surprised look.

“The only one who was killed that day, was your pathetic master”, he seethed.

_‘Nevertheless, he maimed you.’_

A flash of anger crossed his opponent’s face but disappeared quickly again. “Where’s Ahsoka?”, he asked calmly, even though Maul could tell he was unnerved by his appearance.

“She’s playing her part just fine”, Maul chuckled, lifting his blaster, “like you will do with yours.”

With a snap-hiss the jedi’s blue lightsaber activated. “I won’t repeat myself, Maul. Where is she?”, Kenobi threatened, moving towards him slowly and guarded.

“Afraid of being too late again?”, he taunted, “don’t worry, you will have enough time to think about your mistakes.” With that he took aim with the blaster, killing four of the other survivors.

“No!”, the jedi shouted and lunged himself at Maul. Cackling, the Zabrak ducked underneath the blade and jumped back.

“You’re pathetic, Kenobi!”

The man took his stance again. “At least I am more than half a man”, he bit back.

_‘The jedi has a sharp tongue.’_

Maul growled and shot again, bringing two more people down. “Come and try to stop me!”, he barked, “These innocent’s blood is on your hands!”

Kenobi advanced again, but this time Maul engaged him as well. He sidestepped the lightsaber and grabbed Kenobi’s arm, twisting the weapon out of his hands. The Sith could feel the anger radiating from the man. “Anger is unbecoming for a jedi.”

The lightsaber clattered to the ground but Kenobi didn’t waste a second. He used the Force to strengthen him and placed a punch right onto Maul’s nose. The Zabrak reeled back and howled in pain but gathered his wits again. He licked the blood from his lips and bared his teeth.

The authorities were almost there. He shot again but wasn’t really aiming to actually hit Kenobi.

Then the jedi finally did what he was hoping for. The man made a grab for the blaster.

Maul smiled inwardly and let him get his hands on the weapon. As soon as the jedi had it, he gripped the hand holding it and twisted Kenobi so that the man's back was pressed against his chest. With his other arm he got a hold of the jedi’s neck. Kenobi tried to break free, but Maul used the Force to hold the jedi in place. Leaning forward, he breathed next to his enemy’s ear.

“You lose again, Kenobi. But don’t worry, I’ll come back for you some day. For now, good luck with explaining yourself.”

With his iron grip he guided the hand holding the weapon upwards, aiming at the duchess. “Say goodbye to your friend”, he rasped.

Maul pushed the finger on the trigger down and looked with delight as the shot went right through the woman.

“No!”, Kenobi screamed and finally ripped himself free. Maul let the jedi stumble to his fallen friend and threw the blaster next to them.

He would let the police handle the rest. They had all the evidence they needed.

They would find a confused jedi, surrounded by bodies and who was babbling something about a non-existent the Sith lord. Maul grabbed the Tortuga and left the scene unseen.

Insanity was a fine thing, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Maul succeeded with his plan. It was fun to write his insane character, even though I'm still not completely content with this chapter.  
> Let me know what you think :D


	28. Ain't No Place For No Hero

**Chapter 28 - Ain't No Place For No Hero**

If time could slow down, it certainly did in this very moment.

Obi-Wan watched as the red bolt zapped from the blaster in his hand right towards Satine.

She wouldn't be fast enough. No normal human was.

His vision zoomed out as the bolt hit its target and she began to fall. Obi-Wan registered a scream emanating from somewhere, only realizing it had been his own.

His mind was racing, torn between racing towards Satine or turn around and snap that monster's neck like he should have done so many years before.

The human side inside of him won. The jedi ripped himself free and bolted.

‘I'm sorry, Ahsoka. I swear I’ll find you’, he thought as he stumbled forward.

Obi-Wan felt numb as his knees finally hit the ground next to Satine, barely sensing the dull pain in his bad knee as it made contact with the dirt.

“Satine…”, he muttered under his breath, lifting the dead weight in his arms.

He cradled her body in his lap, noticing how is fingers came away sticky with blood as he gingerly touched her head. She must have hit it on the ground.

“Come on, don't do this to me…” Hands slick with blood, Obi-Wan frantically searched for a pulse.

There. It was weak and slowly descending. He had to act fast if he wanted Satine to survive. His eyes casted over her body, shortly lingering over her closed eyes and far too pale face.

An image flashed up in his mind again. Qui-Gon. The reactor on Naboo. Those empty eyes which had kept staring up at him until Obi-Wan had finally closed them. 

“No, not again.” The jedi master gritted his teeth and regained his focus. His gaze fell on the source of his concern. Blood was oozing from the injury where the blaster bolt had hit Satine square in the chest. He placed a hand over the wound and closed his eyes.

Obi-Wan had never been much of a healer. He had tended to his fair share of wounds over the past years, but never something like this. After Qui-Gon's death he had tried to learn Force Healing, hours had been spent on trying to accomplish it. It was like the Force itself was keeping this ability from him. At some point, he had given up on trying. He had come to terms with his failures.

It had only been years later, shortly after he had been made a master, that he had stumbled upon something in the secluded area of the archives. A holocron. The cube had somehow called out to him and Obi-Wan found that his curiosity got the better of him. It did contain information on forbidden Force Acts. Against his better judgement, the jedi master had looked into it and quickly found himself drawn to one particular use of the Force.

Draining one's Life Force. Obi-Wan knew that it had been the Dark Side which had called out to him but somehow the thought had lingered in the back of his mind. Could it be used to save someone? And would the user be able to turn back?

Right now, he didn't care about that anymore. He couldn't let Satine die. Not when it had been his own fault. The jedi didn't put much faith into him either way. Always the unwanted burden. He had been the second choice for the most part in his life, only good enough when it came to shedding work on him. Otherwise quickly forgotten.

Satine had given him a sense of worthiness, even though they had clashed a lot. The jedi had taught him to don't form attachments. As Obi-Wan studied the still form in front of him, he realized how wrong they were. Attachment was what made them human. Suddenly, drawing from the Dark side inside of him became much easier.

“Don't leave me. I need you…”, he whispered. Obi-Wan couldn't take another loss, not when the blood was practically on his hands again. He hadn't been strong enough to save Qui-Gon, denying Anakin the master he had always wanted with his shortcomings. And even now his past came back to haunt him, snatching his grandpadawan away from right under his nose. He wouldn't fail again, even if that meant to step away from his path for some time.

“Forgive me, Anakin.” He hoped the man would understand.

The hand on her wound trembled a little as the jedi master began to transfer parts of his own Life Force into Satine. The Force darkened around him and Obi-Wan knew if he would open his eyes now, they wouldn't be blue. He grimaced as the power surged through his veins like acid, slowly stealing his own breath. It hurt and he felt the Force scream around him. Obi-Wan was oblivious to that, concentrating on saving the one he held so dear.

He didn't notice how they were approached by police droids or how they raised their weapons as he didn't comply to their demands. He didn't notice how the droids were torn apart by an uncontrolled force as they tried to get closer to him.

Obi-Wan only emerged from his sub-consciousness as more droids bore down on him, breaking through his barrier and wrenching him away from Satine. Metal claws clasped his hands and feet, holding him down on the ground. The physical connection lost, Obi-Wan felt the full backlash in the Force. The fire burned through his body and he watched with teary, bloodshot eyes how Satine was taken away by medics.

He thrashed in the droids’ grip but it was getting harder to keep conscious. Obi-Wan could only hope that he had been able to save Satine. As his head was pressed down onto the hard ground, the jedi caught a glimpse of his own reflection in one of the wreckage parts. His eyes shifted again from yellow to blue, but still the faint tint of amber remained. Another reminder for him to shoulder.

He felt how the claws on his body shifted slightly and one was pressed on the back of his head. Suddenly he felt a needle enter his neck and the Force was ripped away from him. A Force suppressor. His consciousness was soon to follow and he was dimly aware of how the droids hoisted him roughly off the ground.

“Suspect secured and ready for transfer.”

* * *

Anakin smiled as he gently cradled his new-born son to his chest. Padme had gone into labor earlier than expected, so they had to rush to one of the public hospitals as the contractions had set in. That had been a few hours ago. Luke and Leia had taken their time to finally enter this world, but now both were resting peacefully with their parents.

Padme was laying on the hospital bed in front of him, Leia placed in the crook of her elbow, and was dozing off a little, still exhausted from the whole thing.

The knight couldn't grasp his luck, his family was finally complete. He had tried to hail Ahsoka and Obi-Wan to tell them the news, but neither of them seemed to answer the call. Probably the two were caught up with something or had just gone to sleep, as it was already late.

Anakin leaned back in the chair and popped his head against the wall. He was exhausted but couldn’t be happier at the same time. Closing his eyes, the knight sunk into the Force, floating in its warmth and calm.

He didn’t know how long he sat like that, his son fast-asleep in his arms, as a sudden, sharp perk in the Force ripped him out of his trance. Blue eyes shot open and Anakin sat up abruptly. Luke rewarded him with wailing almost instantly.

“Sorry Luke”, he soothed apologetically, standing up from his seat. Padme was looking at him through bleary eyes.

“What’s wrong?”, she whispered, not wanting to disturb Leia.

As Luke slowly quieted again, Anakin handed him over to his wife.

“I don’t know. Something woke me up, but I can’t tell what it was”, he mumbled distracted, “I think I need to step out for a bit. Is that okay for you?”

“Sure, Ani”, she smiled, “take your time.”

“Thanks.” He placed a small kiss on the top of her forehead and silently left the room. The corridors of the hospital were still buzzing with life, even at this late hour. Anakin wormed his way through the nurses and other patients and exited the building near the emergency department.

He sat down on a bench near the walls and pulled out his commlink again. Static noise was the only response he got as he tried to call Obi-Wan and Ahsoka again.

Anakin tapped into the Force to locate his padawan. His brows furrowed in confusion as their bond got lost into nothingness. Strange. Either Ahsoka was shielding from him heavily or something was wrong.

He tried the same with Obi-Wan only to be met with a strong wave of dark energy. The knight gasped and clutched his head, recoiling from the Force.

No. It couldn’t be. His master would never fall. As Anakin reached out to him again, Obi-Wan was suddenly gone in the Force. He stood up from the bench, worry and uneasiness creeping up his throat.

Where were they? And what had happened? Sirens started off somewhere in the distance and Anakin noticed how an ambulance arrived. At first, he didn’t really pay attention to the new arrival, until he caught a glimpse of familiar blonde hair on the stretcher between the paramedics.

He whirled around instantly.

“Satine!” It only took him a few, long strides to get close. As he stepped up, a hand landed on his chest, keeping him from reaching out to her.

“Sir, we need you to stay back”, one of the medics said firmly.

His gaze swept swiftly over her prone form, stopping shortly on the hastily treated wound in her chest.

“Wh- What happened? How is she?” His mind had a hard time with catching up. Why was Satine here on Coruscant? And if she was here, why wasn't Obi-Wan with her? Anakin grew even more worried as he remembered the coldness he had sensed from his master's presence.

“She's hanging on, but you really need to step back now and let us do our job.”

He didn't want to leave now, but Anakin knew the medic was right. Swallowing thickly, he stepped aside and watched how they took Satine inside.

Anakin needed to find Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. Taking off in a sprint, the knight darted back into the hospital, dodging the persons on the corridors.

As he finally reached Padme's room, he slowed down and opened the door in a swift motion.

“Padme, I-", he began, before he was interrupted.

“Anakin, look.” His wife had sat up on the bed and nudged her chin towards the screen on the wall. The Holo News were on.

“…large transport crash and a shooting, leaving several people dead, on the lower levels. The police has already arrested the main suspect. Jedi master and high general Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

An image of his master popped up on the screen and Anakin felt like his heart was going to stop.

“…fingerprints had been found on the weapon, delivering the main evidence. Upon arrival of the authorities, he resisted and had to be brought down forcefully.”

A video was being played in the background, showing how his friend kneeled on the ground over Satine, eyes closed and face twisted in a mix between concentration and pain. His skin looked greyish, veins standing out in a dark tone from his skin. Anakin didn't know what Obi-Wan was doing but the image shifted again. He realized only now that they were watching footage from one of the police droids.

One of them stepped closer to Obi-Wan and was abruptly thrown aside, despite the jedi master didn't even move an inch. More droids followed, ending dismantled on the ground.

“Obi-Wan… what did you do?”, Anakin gaped at the screen, still not believing what he was seeing.

“…as long as there are no evidences proving his innocence, Obi-Wan Kenobi will stand trial for murder in front of the Republic Law. The chancellor already announced that this will not be handled as an internal jedi matter, as our fellow citizens of Coruscant had been involved.”

“Oh Force.” That wasn't good. It didn't make any sense. Obi-Wan wasn't a murderer. The man he considered his best friend would never kill someone in cold blood, let alone harm Satine on purpose.

But then there was the disturbing image of him crushing these droids. Had Obi-Wan lost control over himself? Did he really succumb to the Dark side? Or has he lost his mind?

And where was Ahsoka? Anakin was sure that she must have been there as well.

His commlink began to beep and he numbly reached for it. Not bothering to look at the screen, he answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Anakin, my boy.”

The chancellor.

“I guess the disturbing news has already reached you? It's unbelievable that…”, there was a short silence on the other side, “…your master is capable of such an act. I always thought of him as a decent man. A pity how someone like him can fall so low. “

Anakin was still staring on the screen, not bothering to talk himself.

“I also have some information regarding your padawan. Apparently, she was with your master at the time and is now missing. Maybe you want to come to my office and we discuss how to proceed. You know that I'm always there to help you, Anakin. Together we'll find your apprentice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just couldn't let Satine die. Even though I actually had an idea how the scene might have turned out than.   
> Nevertheless, I have no clue how Obi-Wan might pull his head out of the sling again (if he gets the chance to that is) :D
> 
> Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!


	29. Of Monsters and Men

**Chapter 29 – Of Monsters and Men**

The floor vibrated underneath her body, rousing her back to consciousness. Ahsoka awoke slowly, her head pounding terribly. She let it rest against the cool metal tiles a little longer before the memories came rushing back to her. Dex's Diner. The transport crash. That Zabrak who attacked her.

The teenager shot up faster than she probably should have done. As soon she reached an upright position, Ahsoka was hit with an enormous wave of nausea. Black spots were obscuring her vision and she felt like she was going to be sick. Her stomach twisting and churning, she dragged herself over to one of the walls and began to take stock of her surroundings.

By the rumbling noise and slight vibration, Ahsoka could tell that she was on a ship. More specifically inside a cargo hold, she mused, as she let her gaze wander. The ship was in terrible condition, the wall plates rusty and threatening to fall off every second.

Even the Twilight was in better condition. Where were they going? And who was the guy who took her? Ahsoka tried to reach her master in the Force, only to find her connection gone.

That bastard had drugged her. She clenched her jaw and tried to calm herself. It wouldn't do her any good if she started to panic right now.

Ahsoka centered her breathing like she had been taught as a youngling. It didn't help much but it was better than nothing. She hoped that the others were okay. But somehow, she had that ugly feeling that that was not the case.

The padawan drew her knees up to her chest and tried to suppress the shiver that wrecked through her body. It was so cold in space. When she was flying together with her master, he always made sure that the cockpit and sleeping quarters were warm enough. As a man from a desert planet, the jedi tended to be cold more often than not. Ahsoka did never mind though, she liked the warmth.

Now she couldn't find any comfort. Her master wasn't here and the Force wouldn't provide warmth for her.

Ahsoka studied the cuffs around her wrists. They were electrified, sending small jolts through her body when she tugged to hard.

Maybe she could try to pick the lock. Looking around, she spotted a slim, rusty nail in the wall. That would have to make do.

Her hands trembled as she began to peel it out. The rusty surface scraped her skin and soon Ahsoka found that her fingertips were bleeding a little.

“Come on", she grunted, giving the nail a final tug. It came lose with a scratching sound, bits and pieces of the metal crumbling to the floor.

“Got it", the padawan breathed exhausted and returned to her place on the wall. She gingerly tried to prod the lock with the nail, trying to find a way to wedge it in.

Ahsoka didn't know how long she fiddled with the lock, but after what felt like an eternity, she felt one of the cuffs loosen a little, as a part of the lock sprang open.

She grinned with triumph and focused on getting it open all the way.

Ahsoka noticed to late how the door to the cargo hold swished open and a shadow was looming over her.

“And what do you think you're doing?”, a dark voice growled angrily.

She knew it was a futile attempt, but the padawan hid the nail inside her palm either way. She looked up then, studying her captor.

“I don't know what you're talking about", she said defiantly, meeting the Zabrak’s gaze with confidence.

“Oh really", the beast chuckled, “how about I enlighten you then.”

He let his fingers close into a fist and Ahsoka began to feel the pressure on her hand. The padawan looked up alarmed but was only met with a wicked, toothy grin.

“You shouldn’t lie, Tano. That's unbecoming for a jedi.” Then he closed his fist in a fast motion.

It took Ahsoka a moment before her body finally registered the pain. Her hand had been crushed around the nail, driving it inside a bit. She screamed sharply, cradling her broken hand with her other arm. That had been her dominant one. Breathing through the pain, Ahsoka gritted her teeth.

“Who are you? And what do you want?”, she hissed.

“I’m pretty sure you know my face”, he barked, throwing his head back with laughter.

The padawan studied the creature in front of her closer. He looked sick; his features gaunt. Even though his skin was red, she could see that his nose was badly swollen and oddly bent into one direction. Someone must have broken his nose. Amber, bloodshot eyes were boring into her. Definitely a Sith, as he had used the Dark Side of the Force on her.

Her gaze trailed downwards, coming to rest on his legs. Prosthetics. Somehow that fact began to ring a bell.

Suddenly remembering, she snapped her head up. The training videos they showed in the lightsaber classes. The Battle of Naboo. The day Master Kenobi lost his master and slayed a Sith. “You’re supposed to be dead. My grandmaster killed you.”

His eyes darkened. “I’m very much alive as you see. Kenobi failed. Like he did again now.”

“He’s stronger than you’ll ever be”, Ahsoka challenged.

Growling, Maul leaned into her face. “And yet you’re here. On my ship. Snatched away from right under his nose.”

“Says the man with the broken nose", she snarked, knowing that she was already walking on very thin ice.

Growling, he rightened himself again and turned towards the door. “But don’t worry, you can deem yourself lucky that you’re with me now. Soon the jedi will be no more.”

Before exiting, he made another motion with his hand and Ahsoka felt the cuffs lock around her hands again.

The padawan watched as the Sith disappeared through the door before she looked at her hand again. As gently as she could she unclenched it, grunting as the movement sent jolts of pain through the small breaks inside her fingers. She should have known better than to challenge that monster, she scolded herself. With trembling hands, she yanked the nail free from her palm, biting back another cry.

“Blast”, she cursed, throwing the destroyed tool away angrily. Ahsoka tore small strips from her robe and bound them around her hand before she let her head rest back against the wall.

Panic and fear were starting to creep up inside of her. Where were Satine and Master Kenobi? Were they alright? What has happened on Coruscant? And what did Maul mean with the vanishing of the jedi?

Her heart hammering in her chest, Ahsoka closed her eyes. Even though she couldn’t reach the Force, she tried to call for her master.

“Please, master. I need your help”, she mumbled.

* * *

Tick. Tack. Tick. Tack.

The small ticking noise was the only thing to be heard in this room. Obi-Wan contemplated when he had seen an analog chrono last, as he watched its hands move. The thing must be ancient, maybe even older than himself. It did its job though.

The ticking noise began to rattle through his bones as the jedi master waited for whatever was to come.

One hour and forty-seven minutes. That’s how long he had been sitting here, wrists chained to the table in front of him, ankles to a hook on the floor. After the droids had arrested him a few hours ago, they had taken him to the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. A high security prison. He had regained consciousness halfway through the process.

‘Funny thing', he mused. Obi-Wan had lost count of how many criminals he had brought here himself. Now, he was going to meet their fate as well.

They had stripped him of his clothes and replaced them with a bright orange overall with a number on its back. At least he had been allowed to wash Satine's blood away from his skin before they had proceeded. A slim metal band had been clasped around his neck, replacing the force-inhibiting drugs they had injected into his system. It was no less cruel.

No word has been spoken to him as the droids had brought him into the interrogation room. Not caring that Obi-Wan had trouble keeping up with their pace. He had stumbled more than once when they had yanked him particularly hard forward, his knee screaming in protest of the mishandling.

And now he sat here, staring at the clock. Obi-Wan suppressed another shudder that threatened to run down his back. He was feeling cold and tired since they had taken him in. He hoped Satine and Ahsoka were alright. Guilt gnawed at him; he should have known better than to ignore his bad feeling about their little trip. It was all his fault.

He shifted his gaze from the clock to examine the room again. There wasn't much to look at to be honest. A camera hung from the top right corner, its red light blinking occasionally. There was a mirror on the wall opposed to him and Obi-Wan could see the yellow specks that were surging through his otherwise blue iris.

Clenching his jaw, the jedi master quickly averted his gaze and fixed it on the metal table he was chained to. Even though his hands were clean now, his knuckles were still swollen where he had punched Maul's nose. He hoped he broke it.

Maybe closing his eyes a bit would help with easing his mind. But as soon as he did so, the images came flashing back into his mind. Maul forcing him to shoot Satine. Kidnapping Ahsoka. Stabbing his master through the gut.

Balling his hands into fists, Obi-Wan made a vow to himself.

He would end Maul once and for all when the monster would step under his nose again. He won't let him get away again. Whatever it would take to do so.

The click of the door lock made him perk up again.

Through the mirror he saw how a middle-aged man with a disgruntled look on his face entered the room. The man obviously didn't want to be here. Obi-Wan could only agree to that silently, it was still in the middle of the night.

The man sat down on the other side of the table, slapping a folder down on the surface, together with a small recording device. He didn't even look him in the eye. Obi-Wan realized that he already has been branded as a murderer. He didn't know if he could talk himself out of this.

The great Negotiator. Suddenly that nickname sounded more like a bad joke, mocking him.

His opponent was flipping carelessly through the papers, still completely ignoring Obi-Wans presence. The jedi caught glimpses of the contents of the folder. Pictures of him, the weapon, fingerprints, the transport wreck and even the bodies and the destroyed droids.

His stomach churned as he watched the photographs being laid out in front of him. At least Satine wasn’t on one of them. Which meant he had healed her enough. She just had to be alive.

The man flicked a switch on the recording device and finally looked Obi-Wan in the eye. His gaze was cold, a mix of disgust and uncaringness.

“Everything you say will go on record and can be used against you in court, do you understand?”, the man grunted.

Obi-Wan straightened himself on his chair. “Yes.”

“Good, now state your name and profession.”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, jedi master and general of the GAR.”

“You are accused of dangerous manipulation of a public transportation vehicle with a crash as a result and six murders, as well as attempting to kill Duchess Satine Kryze”, his interrogator read out loud as he studied his documents.

“Is Sat- the duchess okay?”, he blurted out, nearly accidently slipping her name out. It would only make things more difficult if they knew about their relationship.

The man stopped and emerald eyes met his blue ones again. “I'm not authorized to tell you that.”

His gaze wandered down again. “If you care so much about her health maybe you shouldn't have shot her.”

Obi-Wan's hands curled into fists, but he tried to stay calm. “I’m innocent.”

“Oh really?”, the man almost began to laugh, “how about I fresh up your memory then.”

He jabbed his finger on one of the pictures, sliding it forward until it rested in front of Obi-Wan's bound wrists.

It showed the blaster. “Care to explain how your fingerprints got on the weapon?”

The jedi sighed but kept his posture. “There was a zabrak, he had a robotic hand with which he held the blaster", he stated calmly, “he shot these six people.” Obi-Wan motioned at the other pictures on the other side of the table. “I tried to wrench the weapon away from him but he grabbed my hand around the weapon and forced me to shoot at the duchess.”

His opponent lifted his eyebrows. “You expect me to believe this?”

“Why should I lie?”, he tilted his head trying to read the other man’s expression.

“You may be convicted of murder. There are enough reasons to start lying.”

“Jedi don't lie", Obi-Wan retorted undeterred.

“Let's just say I believe your story…”, he grabbed a datapad from a bag next to him, “can you describe that Zabrak you claim who was there?”

Something wasn't quite right with that man, even without the Force Obi-Wan could tell that. “Why start believing me now? You seemed pretty sure that I'm guilty”, he tried.

“Mr. Kenobi, please answer my question. It won't get easier for you if you don't cooperate.”

“Why should it get easier if I answer your question? You can always twist my words in court.”

“If you want it that way, fine.”

He tapped on the button of the recorder, stopping it shortly. He grinned at Obi-Wan like a maniac. Too bad he was sitting with his back to the camera.

The jedi was beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable.

“Just for you to know, I don't need your words. You're already deemed guilty. The emperor just has special plans for you”, the man gleaned.

Obi-Wan's face twisted in confusion. ‘Emperor? What is he talking about?’ “I don't think I can follow you.”

The man just pushed the recording button wordlessly and pulled out a small holo projector.

“Evidence Nr.7 will be played in front of the suspect", he stated to no one in particular.

Still not grasping the new information, Obi-Wan looked at the small hologram that started to play in front of him.

The image was fuzzy, but still it felt like the floor had been pulled away from underneath his feet.

It showed him shooting Satine. But the catch was that Maul wasn’t to be seen.

Like the Zabrak had never been there. Erased. Just his simple imagination.

“No”, he mumbled, staring blankly at the flickering video, “that can't be.”

Who was he even speaking up to? His words would fall on deaf ears either way. This was a dead end.

“You’re saying this evidence is faulty?”, the man asked him like he didn’t know a thing.

Obi-Wan had a hard time with clamping down the anger that started to boil up inside of him. That didn't keep him from listening closely to his opponent's words though.

“You’re the one who said that it’s faulty”, he said, eyes narrowing a little. He caught the man with his own words. “It seems that you know something I don’t.”

His opponent sneered as he realized that he had made a mistake.

The jedi laughed and leaned back as much as the chains would allow him to. “What?”, he asked with a smile, “Afraid that you’re revealing more than you’re supposed to?”

He had nothing to lose, time to play with this sleemo.

“Mr. Kenobi, I must ask you to stop this or you’ll get into even more trouble.”

Snorting, he shook his head in amusement. “Trouble for what? A crime I didn’t commit?”, he leaned forward coming close to the other man’s face, “a fact you seem to be very aware of.”

Obi-Wan let himself fall back again. “You can’t sentence me for asking questions.”

“But I can question something else”, the man hissed, grabbing the recorder on the table.

Holding it next to his mouth, he stared at him with a cold expression.

“I hereby question the suspect’s mental health. Obi-Wan Kenobi seems to be hallucinating about a certain Zabrak who he claimed was there at the crime scene. He also denies that he is guilty.”

He started to look at his datapad.

“Regarding his files, I see that there had been an incident a little over 20 years ago on Naboo. The suspect fought a Zabrak in the reactor room and killed him successfully. I would like to assume that the defendant has not processed this incident and has suffered from it psychologically. Furthermore, it is possible that he has developed a post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his many years of service on the war front. I recommend that my client be placed in a psychiatric hospital.”

The man then ended the recording and studied him again. “You won’t get out of this. You’re alone.”

“You’re more trapped than you think. You’ll never walk free as long as you let others control you”, Obi-Wan countered.

The interrogator made a signal towards the camera and soon he heard the door open behind him.

The man stood up, while Obi-Wan was unchained from the floor and table and hoisted to his feet by the guards. Clones, he realized.

“Whatever the court decides, you will get what the Jedi deserve.”

‘Someone is really sure of himself.’

“Send that emperor of yours my regards”, Obi-Wan called over his shoulder as the clone guards hauled him out of the room, down into the prison complex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I be sorry for this? Nah, I hope you can guess what's about to come up :D  
> Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!
> 
> Next chapter: Anakin's time to take action.


	30. Last Man Standing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the previous ones, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer :D

**Chapter 30 – Last Man Standing**

“What do you mean with you can’t let me in?”, Anakin growled, face twisted in anger. As much as he liked to rip this stupid droid’s head off, he knew that it wouldn’t get him any further.

He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to stay calm. Obi-Wan would laugh if he could see him now, Anakin had never really been able to keep his posture like his master. Despite all this, his best friend was the reason he stood in front of these two droids. As soon as he heard about the arrest, the knight had left the hospital in a rush, telling Padme to look after the kids and Satine.

How come that things were barreling down so fast? His padawan abducted to Force knows where. His best friend accused of murder. The woman the man wanted to marry wounded by his own hand.

His children had certainly chosen the best time to enter this world.

And then there was the chancellor. The man who seemed to know everything he did and where he went. Anakin didn’t know what to make of that. He had ignored Palpatine’s call in favor of trying to help Obi-Wan. He probably knew what had happened with Ahsoka as well.

Still standing in front of the Republic Prison, the knight tried to hail the jedi temple again. But like before, he was only met with static noise. He had tried to reach them on his way here, but it seemed their communications were blocked. At first, Anakin had thought that that had only been a technical issue but now he felt that something was up.

Cursing, he turned the useless commlink on his arm off and faced the droids again.

“Legally, every prisoner is allowed to receive a visitor. I’m pretty sure even you two tin heads know that.”

The guards exchanged a look and shifted closer together, guns held at the ready.

“Sir, we are under special orders to not let anybody enter”, one of the security guards blared mechanically, “In addition to that, prisoner Obi-Wan Kenobi is to be kept in solitary confinement and isn’t allowed to be visited.”

Anakin's eyes went wide, he couldn't believe what he just heard. “Solitary confinement? That man is innocent, for Force sake!”, he motioned at the prison furiously, “He's no kriffing monster!”

“Sir, we must ask you to calm down.”

“Calm down?!”, Anakin snapped and stalked closer to the offending droid. “Whose orders are you following?”, he snarled.

“We are not authorized to…”, the droid squeaked, being suddenly lifted of the ground as Anakin's prosthetic clamped around its throat, threatening to crush its circuits.

The knight clenched his jaw and yanked the struggling droid up to his face, his eyes gleaming dangerously. “I'll show you who you're authorized to talk to, you piece of scrap metal.”

Before any of them could act, they were interrupted by a new voice.

“General Skywalker!”, a clone’s voice called.

Still fixing the droid with a death-glare, Anakin thought about just crushing the machine to dust. But that wouldn't get him further either.

He sighed and let the poor droid drop at his feet. “Blast.”

Anakin turned around and looked at the squad of clones, which was approaching him. Shocktroopers, he noticed.

“What is it?”, he asked.

One of the men stepped forward. “We're here to escort you to the chancellor's office, sir.”

“I have business here, I don't have time to see the chancellor”, Anakin grunted, already turning back to push himself past the two terrified droids.

“Sir, he said it's urgent.”

The jedi groaned with annoyance. “Well, this is outmost important too. The chancellor has to wait.”

“I'm afraid that's not possible.”

Anakin whirled around and glared at the soldier. “Are you threatening me?”, he demanded.

“We've got our orders, sir”, the clone retorted almost calmly, but the slight shift on his feet exposed him, “so please just comply and follow us to the senate building.”

What was the chancellor up to? His stomach churned as an uneasy feeling crept up inside of him. Maybe he could get to the bottom of this if he confronted Palpatine. He just whished he had Obi-Wan at his side for this. His friend was a far better negotiator than him.

‘I'll find you, Ahsoka. And I'll get you out of this mess, Obi-Wan’, he thought to himself.

“Fine", he bit out, “take me to the chancellor.”

The clone nodded shortly and motioned for him to follow them. The Force suddenly felt very chilling, like something dark and sinister was lingering over its very presence.

Anakin didn't like this at all. He took a seat inside the speeder with the guards and let his eyes linger on the city. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but that didn't ease his mind. The buildings swept by as they flew towards the senate and Anakin caught a glimpse of the jedi temple, illuminated by the moon light.

He could feel the lifeforms inside radiating in the Force. The jedi should have gotten the news by now as well. Anakin closed his eyes for a moment and tried to reach out to Master Yoda, hoping that the old troll might get his message.

‘The chancellor is up to something', he sent through the Force, ‘stay alert.’

Opening his eyes again, Anakin realized that they had already arrived at the senate and the clones were waiting for him expectantly.

“Sorry", he muttered and climbed out of the speeder.

The senate building suddenly looked very imposing to him, its dark silhouette towering in front of him, even though he used to visit Padme in her office when he had been younger. Swallowing his anxiety, Anakin made his way inside, closely followed by the guards.

The chancellor's office was the same like he remembered from the last time he had been here. Stark red walls, the big desk in front of the large window front. Anakin only noticed now that Palpatine had a great view on the jedi temple.

The man in question was sitting in his chair, leg swung over his knee, smiling brightly. “Anakin, I see you finally made it.”

The knight heard how the guards quietly shuffled out of the room and the door snapped closed behind them.

“Forget the formalities, chancellor. What's the meaning of this?”, he stomped towards the desk, anger barely concealed, “why won’t you let me see Obi-Wan? Why are our communications blocked?”

The smile slowly disappeared from Palpatine's face. “Your master is a danger to himself and others. I only did what I had to.”

“A danger? That man raised me!”, Anakin shouted, “He would never hurt anyone on purpose! He is falsely accused and you know that!”

“Your blinded, my boy”, the chancellor stood up from his seat and walked over to a holo projector, “come, let me show you something.”

“I've already seen the footage", the knight said tight-lipped.

“You haven't seen everything, now look.”

Anakin didn't want to, clinging to the thought that Obi-Wan innocent, but looked at the video that played in front of him.

It was again footage from the police droids. The image was incredibly shaky as the droid jumped on Obi-Wan trying to wrestle him away from Satine. Anakin winced as they slammed his master's head particularly hard against the ground. The image shifted again as the droid moved around Obi-Wan and kneeled in front of his face. He was pale, almost as grey as the ground he was held against, eyes pressed closed. Still, Anakin could see the tears that were glistening on his cheeks, trailing along the blackened veins on Obi-Wan's face.

‘Force, master. I'm so sorry.’

Another droid yanked his friend's head to the side and that was when the jedi master's eyes snapped open.

“No", the knight gasped. That couldn't be true. Not his master. Not the man who raised him. Who was so strongly rooted in the Light.

Nevertheless, Anakin couldn't tear away his gaze. Those amber eyes he had only seen on Dooku before were staring back at him.

He didn’t know what to believe. He didn’t want to believe what he was seeing. But then there had been that strong and dark energy he had sensed from his former master before.

Anakin felt betrayed and frustrated. Obi-Wan had always preached that the Dark side was dangerous. And yet he had seemed to have broken his own vow. It didn’t matter to Anakin, that his friend had used the Dark side, he was sure the man had his reasons. It hurt much more that he had always rebuked Anakin when he had strayed from the path.

“I see you understand", the chancellor spoke softly, turning away from the projector and crossing his hands in his sleeves. “I don’t know much about the Force, but even I remember what those yellow eyes mean.”

Back still turned away from the chancellor, Anakin rubbed his arms. He felt cold somehow.

“I still need to speak to him. I should at least give him a chance to explain himself”, he murmured, lost in his thoughts, “Also he probably knows where Ahsoka has gone.”

* * *

Palpatine was starting to get annoyed with the boy. He had thought that the video would be enough to make him lose trust in his former master. The footage wasn’t even altered, he had shown the jedi the truth. And yet, he still clung to that stupid man.

Skywalker and Kenobi. The infamous duo. He would never understand what kept the two men together. It almost looked like the hatred the boy harbored for his master had diminished to nothingness. And it all had looked so promising. The boy had visited him almost every day, ranting about his master. How the man held him back. Didn’t understand him. How the jedi master had been a hypocrite.

But now? Nothing. Whatever Kenobi did, it had strengthened Skywalker’s trust.

It was time to take the offensive. If Skywalker wouldn’t fall by himself, he would make him.

The traitors had to die. One way or another.

He stepped around his desk and opened one of the drawers, taking his special commlink and the lightsaber. Hiding the weapon in his sleeve, Sidious turned towards the jedi, who was still staring at the frozen video.

“I can’t let you see him again”, he simply stated, keeping his neutrality in the Force. Kenobi was just a tool in his hands, he would need the man as soon as he had the boy under control.

Skywalker whirled around instantly; confusion spread over his face. The jedi took a step back then, suddenly on high alert.

Ah, that innocence. It almost made him laugh. The boy was so naïve, quick to forget the real threat.

“Who are you?”, Skywalker hissed, hand on the lightsaber on his hip.

A raw chuckle escaped his throat as he watched the jedi. “Oh Anakin, your master really did a poor job at teaching you if you still haven’t noticed yet. And here I thought you’re their precious Chosen One.”

With a snap-hiss the blue blade activated in front of him. “You’re the Sith Lord.”

“I would put down that weapon”, he laughed, “you might get hurt… or your fellow jedi friends.” He stepped closer to the perplexed knight, letting his dark presence flow free, pressing down on Skywalker. Yellow eyes bore right through blindingly blue ones.

The knight began to clutch his head as the Darkness began to consume him.

“I’ll teach you real power”, Sidious snarled. “But first… I need to teach you a lesson.” He continued to increase the pressure in the Force, keeping the boy from calling out to someone.

Anakin’s knees gave way as it became to much, catching himself on his hands.

With a smile, the Sith watched him struggling in the void. His presence was suffocating for a normal Force sensitive.

But for the Chosen One? Pure agony.

Too bad that this was only the beginning.

He lifted the commlink to his lips and opened the precoded frequency.

“Execute Order 66.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I never thought that this story would get that long! Thanks to everyone who is still tagging along for the ride!  
> I don't know how often I rewrote this perticular chapter, but in the end I just go with it now. Future Me has to deal with it :D
> 
> Thank you for reading and all the lovely comments ;)


	31. Now or Never

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I managed to update! :D I have put off this chapter for so long, because I needed to come up with ideas. I hope each of you had nice christmas days!

**Chapter 31 – Now or Never**

Anakin had always thought that he knew how it felt to come close to the Dark side. His own anger had shown him the other side of the Light more often than he liked to admit.

But now? This was not the power he wanted to possess. It was consuming, eating from his essence. He was drowning and Anakin knew that it was only a matter of time before Palpatine would win.

As he crashed down to the ground, hands clasping around his head in an useless attempt to shield himself against the onslaught, the knight thought that this was the end.

He realized his misjudgment a few moments later. This was only the beginning in the Sith's sick game.

The jedi were dying.

Younglings. Padawans. Knights and Masters. Anakin could feel them vanishing into the Force one by one. 

“No", he gasped, hands clenching against the cold floor. His family was out there. Padme. His children. Ahsoka. Obi-Wan. Anakin wouldn't even be able to feel his master's and padawan's passing. They had vanished inside the Force hours ago.

For a second he thought if he had seen his family for the last time.

‘Don't think like that', the knight chided himself, face twisting into a snarl, ‘Show that monster what the Chosen One is made off.’

With a roar, Anakin pushed himself up again, shoving Palpatine backwards with a strong Force push. Love. Pain. Hatred. Disappointment. Trust. The jedi let it all go.

In front of him, the Sith straightened himself again, still smiling evilly. “That's the spirit, my boy. You'll make a powerful apprentice", the man seethed.

“Don't you ever call me that again", Anakin hissed, holding his lightsaber in front of him.

“Join me, Anakin", the chancellor spoke menacingly, his sick yellow eyes tracing Anakin's very movements, “you know that this is your destiny. The Dark side is just calling you home.”

His fingers tightened around the hilt of his weapon. “Over my dead body.”

Palpatine licked his teeth. “Then fight for your freedom.”

A blood-red blade joined the jedi's blue one, illuminating the office in a strange mix of colors. Anakin’s mouth ran dry as he tried to calm himself.

For the first time in his life, he felt truly alone. He couldn't feel Ahsoka or Obi-Wan. Didn't even know if they were still breathing. Anakin had never considered the jedi his family the way his master had done. But now, as the Force wailed in agony as its children were snatched away in merely more than seconds, he felt something shatter inside him.

The light from the flames that licked the temple walls in the distance reflected in Anakin's eyes. The Sith took his home and friends.

He wouldn't let him take his family too.

* * *

Luke and Leia were screaming on the top of their tiny lungs, Padme was afraid that she would never be able to calm them down again. She walked around her small recovery room trying to sooth the twins in her arms, all the while humming a song her mother used to sing to her when she had been a kid.

She was worried about Anakin, shortly after he had disappeared, the kids had started to cry. Even though she didn't know much about force sensitive children, Padme knew that the twins were just as strong in the Force as their father.

Something was wrong and the children were screaming it out loud.

Her heart thumping inside her chest, she tried to call her husband again. The commlink in her hand beeped, but in the end, it just showed that there was no connection to be found.

Cursing silently, Padme thought about what to do. She sat down on the bed as her strength began to leave her again. The exhaustion from the hours before started to catch up with her and with the twins in uproar, she felt even more agitated.

She shivered slightly and readjusted the grip on the bundles in her lap. “Come on, Anakin. Where are you?”, she muttered, her eyes flicking over to the window.

It took her moment before she realized what she was looking at. At first, she thought that it was the morning sun, which started to tint the city in a dark orange tone.

But no, it was far too early for that. Her breath got caught in her throat as the picture in front of her sunk in.

The jedi temple was burning.

She had muted the Holo News at some point, not being able to listen to this insanity any longer. As she looked at the screen now, the words on branded themselves into her mind.

_“Jedi are traitors. Orchestrators of the galaxy-wide war.”_

_“All traitors are to be executed as well as their associates.”_

_“The Republic has fallen. Long live the Empire.”_

Her hazel eyes bore sightlessly into the wall in front of her. That couldn't be happening. The jedi were protectors. Peace keepers.

Swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat, Padme made a decision. She had to get away from here. Find Satine. Anakin. Obi-Wan. Ahsoka.

She quickly packed her meager possessions and swung the bag over her shoulders. The adrenaline was the only thing keeping her upright. Lifting Luke and Leia back up in her arms, she tried to calm them down one last time.

It seemed like they understood their situation, because both twins stopped crying and nuzzled their tiny heads against her chest.

“Thank the Force”, she muttered under her breath, hoping that they would be able to remain undetected now.

She pulled the hood of her robe over her head and left the room. Padme knew that they had brought Satine in a few hours ago. But where?

She might have to ask one of the nurses. Hopefully, they won't recognize her face.

The senator wove her way through the hospital corridors and spotted a rather young nurse.

She would have to make do. Taking a deep breath, Padme approached the woman.

“Excuse me, I'm looking for Satine Kryze. I've been informed that she had been admitted here a few hours ago.”

The nurse looked up from her work and studied Padme, but no sign of recognition crossed her features. Good.

“Satine Kryze? She's been taken to the intensive care unit, but I'm afraid only family members are allowed to enter.”

She started to turn away and continue with her work, but Padme quickly interjected. “She's the wife of my husband's brother", she lied, surprised that the words slipped from her lips so easily, “please, I really need to see her.”

The woman sighed exhausted but then nodded. “Fine, follow me.”

Padme walked behind the woman silently, holding Luke and Leia close to her chest, keeping them out of view the best she could.

“Here we are", the nurse said, motioning towards the room, “I'll leave you to it then.”

The nurse left and Padme slipped into Satine's room.

Her friend seemed to be fast asleep as she approached the bed. Padme sat the twins down on the chairs nearby and gently took one of Satine's hands.

“Satine, wake up", she flustered, pressing it slightly.

The blonde’s eyelids twitched a little, before glazed, blue eyes found Padme's gaze.

“Padme…?”, she rasped.

“Yes, it's me.” Padme let go of Satine's hand and quickly produced a glass of water. She helped her sit up and held the glass to her lips. “Here, drink something. Slowly.”

Satine did so and then paused suddenly, frowning. “Padme, what happened? What's going on?”

Padme pressed her lips together and grimaced. “You remember, hm? I'm afraid we don't have much time; we need to leave immediately.”

“What? No!”, Satine sputtered, “I can't just leave Obi-Wan behind!”

Pressing a steadying hand to her shoulder, Padme fixed her friend’s gaze. “Satine, something has happened. The Republic has been overthrown and the jedi are branded as traitors. They are to be executed as well as their companions”, she paused a moment, “which includes us, I'm afraid. If we don't leave now, we won't be able to help them at all.”

Satine stared at her as the words sunk in. “They took Anakin too, didn't they?”

“I think so", Padme confirmed silently, “you think you’re fit enough to walk?”

Her friend looked down and pulled the hem of her shirt down, tracing the bandage which crossed her chest carefully. “It doesn't hurt at all", she mumbled, “I think Obi-Wan must have healed me.”

Padme remembered the footage from the Holo News. Obi-Wan kneeling over her, face twisted into a pained grimace. “He did.” She didn't want to worry Satine further, so she didn't dare to say more.

“Come on, we have to go", she urged then, shooting her friend a sympathetic look.

Satine nodded silently and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

“Do you need help?”, Padme asked.

“No, I'm just a little dizzy.” She stood up carefully, slightly wobbly on her feet. Her eyes fell on Luke and Leia for the first time.

“Oh", she smiled sadly, before looking at Padme.

“These are Luke and Leia", Padme said solemnly, picking them back up again.

“Are they…?”, Satine asked, but Padme already knew where she was heading.

“Just like their father.”

Her friend nodded and began to change her clothing. “If they're looking for jedi, then they will be after your children too.”

“I know, that's why we have to leave as fast as possible.”

“Then let's go”, Satine stepped next to her, wearing a hood as well.

Padme shot a last glance at her. “You're sure you feel well enough to walk?”

“I am. Go on.”

With that, the two women slipped out of the room and made their way out of the hospital, trying to take the more deserted corridors. Soon they stepped out of the building, the cold night’s air whipping at their faces.

A shallow wave of burning smell hit their nostrils, making Padme's stomach churn again at the thought.

“Something's burning”, Satine mumbled, looking around to spot the source.

Not looking at her, Padme bit her lip before stating blankly: “The jedi temple.”

“What?”, Satine whirled around and Padme felt her eyes boring into her back.

Her brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears, she faced Satine again. “They attacked the temple. I don't know who.”

Shock spread over Satine's slim face, as she gaped into the distance. “There were children inside", she mumbled absently.

Padme stepped closer, nudging her in the shoulder, mindful not to jostle the twins in her arms. Apparently, they had finally succumbed to an unrestful sleep.

“We're going to find someone who will be able to help us out. But without backup…”, she shook her head, “we'll be dead before we know it… or worse.” She shuddered at her own words. The Empire. Padme still couldn't believe that things had changed so quickly.

“Do you know someone?”, she asked then.

Satine was still lost in her thoughts, a foreign look crossing her face. “Maybe", she murmured, “I met a former jedi before all this happened.”

The duchess let her eyes wander again. “Apparently one of Obi-Wan's childhood friends, even though they hadn't any contact over the past years.”

“You think he might be still on planet?”

Satine shrugged. “He might be our only chance. I don't know where to look for him though. The lower levels seem to be the most obvious choice to hide.”

“Then let's not waste time.”

The small group made their way down to the darker parts of Coruscant, dodging patrols and cameras. It felt like running the gauntlet.

As they entered a small alley, Luke suddenly began to fuss again.

“Blast", Padme hissed, trying to calm the boy again. “Would you mind?”, she asked Satine, holding Leia out to her.

“Sure.”

It didn't take long before Leia started to cry as well.

The two women exchanged a worried glance. That could not mean anything good. They were in danger.

Just as they tried to hide themselves, they heard the distinctive click of a blaster.

“Where do you think you're going, ladies?”, a rough voice barked, “there's a huge bounty on your heads.”

Padme clenched her teeth, cursing inwardly that she didn't have a weapon at hand. Facing their attacker, she noticed that he wasn't alone.

A group of three people, two humans and a Trandoshan, the leader of the trio, had them cornered.

“Attacking an unarmed person is low, even for you bounty hunters", she tried, backing off together with Satine, who still held Leia.

The Trandoshan laughed. “We live in desperate times, my dear", he grinned, “go get them!”

Satine and Padme ran for their lives as the blaster bolts began to zap past them. They darted through another small street until the suddenly heard a familiar snap-hiss, quickly followed by cries as the bounty hunters tumbled dead to the ground.

A green light illuminated the narrow space, as Padme and Satine looked at their rescuer.

The man turned around; face still hidden except for the obvious yellow tattoo across his nose.

“Quinlan Vos", Satine breathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I am evil :D Let me know what you think!


	32. Friends and Traitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! Lets hope that 2021 will be better than 2020!

**Chapter 32 – Friends and Traitors**

It had been a long time since he had considered himself a jedi. Leaving the jedi order has been a tough decision, meaning he had to leave everything he knew behind. His home. Friends. Maybe even his family. But Quinlan had always felt too constricted by their rules, too confined to a shell he didn't really fit into.

He had left without a goodbye. And somehow that haunted him till today. Maybe it was that twinge of guilt that had made him return to Coruscant. Bumping into the Duchess of Mandalore had been pure coincidence, but he knew that she was a good friend of Obi-Wan. Giving her the message to his old friend had been a short-term decision. Quinlan knew not to expect forgiveness, even though Obi-Wan had always been a very good-natured person. He himself would not be sure how he would react if a long-lost friend simply reappeared on his doorstep. Especially after he had simply abandoned him. For some part, Quinlan hated himself for that.

Perhaps that was the reason he decided to rescue these two bright beacons in the Force, despite he knew it was better and safer to stay hidden. He had thought that it had been younglings who had miraculously managed to escape the slaughter at the temple. He had used his status to try and get as many fugitives off-world as possible. The Empire wasn't looking for him directly, as he wasn't a jedi no more. Despite this, Quinlan doubted that they would spare him as soon as they noticed that he can use the Force and still wielded his lightsaber. The Kiffar couldn't be helped but to be surprised to stand in front of the duchess again.

“Quinlan Vos", she breathed, cradling a wailing child in her arms.

The ignited blade still held in his steady hand; he studied the small group. The Holo News had been pretty detailed about what had happened. “I see your visit didn't went the way you expected”, he said with a sad smile, eyes locking on the blonde, then moving on to her companion.

Senator Amidala, he realized surprised.

“I know it's much to ask, but we need your help.”

“I figured as much", Quinlan muttered, finally deactivating his weapon, but not before he took a tentative look around. One could never be sure enough. His eyes then set on the two children.

“Are these yours?”, he asked. Somehow, the idea of Obi-Wan being a father had never crossed his mind. Even though, he would never doubt that the man would be a great one.

“No, they are mine", the senator cut in, “Luke and Leia Skywalker.”

Quinlan’s eyes widened. “Skywalker? Like in Anakin Skywalker? Kenobi's brat?”

“That's my husband", the woman retorted, her voice a little cooler than before.

He gently lifted his hands. “Sorry, I didn't mean to offence. You just caught me off-guard. The Skywalker I remember was just merely more than a child who took great pleasure in keeping his master on his toes.”

The evenings when he had drunk himself together with Obi-Wan had branded themselves deeply into his mind. They had sat together in one of the shady bars on the lower levels, his friend exhausted from trying to handle a fiery padawan. That had been before the war.

And before he left them all behind.

Quinlan shook his head and tried to forget about that thought again. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the past.

The children were still crying, he noticed. That wouldn't do them any good on their way to escape.

He motioned for the babies. “May I try to calm them down?”

The senator shot Satine a questioning look but thankfully the woman took his side. “You can trust him, Padme.”

The brunette gave her approval and the former jedi gently laid his fingers on their foreheads, sending calming waves through the Force. They quickly latched on to his Force presence, despite the dark traces it harbored. With a smile he sent a sleep suggestion and watched as the children dosed off.

“You gave them a sleep suggestion", the duchess remarked, having observed his actions.

“How did you know?”, he asked, although he already had an idea where she knew that from.

“I saw Obi-Wan using it once", she muttered, her expression changing into something between sadness and worry.

His guess was right.

“We should get moving “, he suggested then, already turning back towards the alley, “I'll see what I can do to help you out.”

He guided the small group through the lower levels, until they reached the small apartment, he had taken residence in in the past few weeks.

Pushing open the creaking door, he waved them inside.

“I know it's shabby, but we're safe here for now.”

The room was small, the walls just barely covered with an old wallpaper that was already starting to fall off. No one would voluntarily live in this part of Coruscant, even the patrols avoided this place. Ideal for criminals - or people who needed to hide. Quinlan himself had been little bothered by these circumstances; in the years after he left the Jedi Order, he had done a lot of underground work. Sometimes doing more or less dirty work. Over time he had made a name for himself, found like-minded people he could trust. He had never been a man of honor, yet he would not stand by as innocents fell victim to this madness.

He closed the door behind himself. “You want to get off-world, don't you?”

There was no need to tread around the obvious.

Quinlan watched how the women exchanged a look before the duchess began to speak.

“Yes, we hoped that you might be able to help us with that", she said, adjusting the hold on the sleeping child in her arms, “even though that's not the only thing we need you for.”

The former jedi raised an eyebrow and moved to lean against one of the walls with his shoulder. “Just say it. I'm not the most patient man.”

“We need you to get Obi-Wan and Anakin out.”

His eyes felt like they were about to fall out of their sockets. “What? You want me to break into the prison?”, he exclaimed flabbergasted, “I'm sorry, but this is madness. And for Skywalker, I have no idea where he might be.” He pushed himself of the wall and waved his hands in a denying matter.

The duchess handed the kid back over to the senator and stomped over to him, visibly angry. “I don't know much about you", she hissed, “but I never thought that the jedi raised cowards.”

Her face was merely inches from his own and Quinlan could see the fire burning in her eyes. “I begin to understand what Kenobi sees in you.”

“Yet, it seems that you still don't care enough about the fact that he considered you a friend, _Master_ Vos", Satine gnarled.

He took a step back, trying to hide the fact that she had hit a wound spot. “Look, it's not like that. I-.”

“You had what? Your reasons?”, she clenched her jaw, “What reason did he give you to not deserve a simple goodbye?”

They stared at each other and an icy feeling began to settle above them like a blanket.

“I was afraid.”

The words tumbled out of his mouth before he thought about it. It was true, he had thought about it for long time since his departure. He just didn't have the guts to face his best friend that day. Obi-Wan might have even succeeded in convincing him to stay. Even though he knew that his friend would have never asked this from him. He would have let him leave, but Quinlan knew that he would never forgotten the look of betrayal in his eyes.

Not that it was any better now.

“And you're still afraid now. You hoped he would come looking for you after I gave him your message.”

“You're right", he took a deep breath, “Still, I won't change my mind.”

Quinlan averted his gaze and let it rest on nothing in particular. “I can get you on a transport that leaves in a few hours. It's headed to Alderaan. I'm sorry I can't help you any further.”

As he brought them to the small freighter on one of the unauthorized landing pads, the former jedi still quarreled with his decision.

* * *

Sidious almost had to laugh at the boy's blue-eyedness. Chosen One or not, the Jedi had no idea who he was trying to mess with. The Sith had no intention of killing Skywalker. No, he would control and manipulate him, turn him into a mindless slave.

Everything he needed to do that was literally at his fingertips. The boy's greatest weakness was his loyalty, his affection. Sidious had first considered using Kenobi for this step, but the danger was far too great that the man would snatch his protégé from his hands again.

He would deal with the Jedi Master later.

Now he needed someone else, someone Skywalker trusted. Someone the boy would protect with his life.

It would be a little while before his lure would reach the Senate.

Sidious licked his teeth and smiled. Time to play a little before the really exciting part began.

He twisted the hilt of his sword mockingly around his hand. He had watched the boy since the Jedi had brought him from Tatooine. Skywalker favored Ataru, a fighting style particularly designed for attack. Quite the opposite of his doomed master, who had perfected Soresu.

Perhaps that was what had made this duo so dangerous. They complemented each other like two sides of the same coin.

But now that he had separated the two, uncertainty was visible in his future student's eyes. Something he absolutely had to work on. He would not allow any weakness.

Skywalker was waiting for him, the blue blade humming quietly in front of him. The boy was breaking his habits. A fact he liked about him.

A beep from the commlink on the table informed him that his target was almost at the senate. Skywalker wouldn't even know what was going on.

With a laugh, the Sith jumped upwards with an inhuman speed, his red blade catching the jedi's midair. Age was no concern for a Dark side user, they simply drained the miserable life forms around them. Sidious moved like a man in his best time, but Skywalker surprisingly held his ground.

“You're doing good, my boy", he taunted, almost landing a fatal blow on his opponent's head.

The heat still blistering over his skin, Skywalker withdrew immediately, clearly on edge. “I learned from the best", the jedi rasped.

“You don't know what's best for you", Sidious barked, shooting some Force lightning from his fingertips.

Skywalker blocked the onslaught and redirected them back towards the Sith.

Simply sidestepping his own projectiles, he straightened himself again, red blade held in front of him.

“Futile”, he shook his head, “I hope you'll do better as soon we start our training.”

“There will be no training. ‘Cause you’ll be dead", Skywalker hissed, pressing forward in an attempt to attack.

Sidious snorted and pushed the jedi back against the wall with a wave of his hand. “You're so full of yourself. I promise we'll change that. But first, let us invite our dear guests.”

As if on cue, the door to his office opened.

Their appearance had the desired effect as Skywalker froze and gaped at the new arrivals, muttering a name under his breath.

* * *

CT-7567 had only seen the insides of the senate for a few times. Not that Re- CT-7567 could really remember that. He and his men had been ordered to the chancellor's office. They hadn't questioned the order- though they hadn't expected to be called off from their original target so fast.

The traitors would not vanish by themselves.

Their enemies hadn't expected the attack. It had been almost too easy to burn their homestead. No mercy was shown. They all had to die. CT-7567 had thought to have seen in some kind of recognition in their eyes, or even a hint of betrayal, as his projectiles snatched their lives away. Some had hesitated to defend themselves, confusion clearly written on their faces. Something had begun to ache in his head at this thought. Not that he paid them much attention.

Good soldiers follow orders.

Their armored boots clanked against the tiled floor as his troop approached the office. A battle could be heard from the inside. He nodded shortly towards his brothers, motioning for them to ready themselves.

Something inside his head told him that now was the time for them to enter.

With a strong push he opened the door, letting his comrades’ step inside behind him.

There was something strange about the scene that unfolded before them. Re- CT-7567 again felt the unpleasant tugging in his skull.

The chancellor was facing one of the traitors, who was staring at them with wide eyes.

"Rex," the man muttered. CT-7567 did not know what the man was talking about, only the finger over the trigger began to twitch. He returned his attention to the chancellor. He nodded briefly under his blue and white helmet.

"Sir, I believe you ordered us here."

A kind smile appeared on the chancellor’s face. “Ah, the 501st. What a great delight. You see", he motioned towards the traitor, “I have some trouble with one of the traitors.”

His brown eyes fixed on the man again. “Should we kill him, sir?”

The man's face twisted in confusion. “Rex, what are you talking about? Come on", a insecure laugh escaped his throat, “stop this game. This isn't funny anymore.”

“I'm afraid this isn't a game, my boy", the chancellor said, before turning towards his shoulders, “Stun him.”

“Very well, sir.”

CT-7567 and his men opened fire, leaving the traitor almost no time to defend himself. The blaster bolts were redirected by the bright blue blade, but everyone knew that the traitor wouldn't last forever.

It was becoming more evident that the traitor wasn't aiming to kill them.

The headache inside of Re- CT-7567’s head became even worse, but he pressed on. A lucky shot slipped past the traitor's defense and hit him in his thigh. The man collapsed down to one knee but still didn't give up.

“Rex!”, he called between the strikes, “Stop it, I won't fight you.”

The traitor deactivated his weapon, throwing it to the floor. The hilt chattered a few times against the tiles before it came to a halt.

He motioned for his men to hold fire.

The man panted and lifted his hands. “I won't fight you", he gasped, “you're my friends. We fought side by side for years.” His eyes trailed over to the chancellor. “I don't know what he did to you, but I know you can fight this.”

CT-7567 stepped forward and aimed his blaster at the man's chest. Blue eyes pierced into his visor and something twanged inside him.

_Anakin Skywal-_ No, traitor. _General of the 501 st – _The clone shook his head, those had to be those blasted mind tricks those traitors were able to pull off.

His finger tightened around the trigger again.

“Good soldiers follow orders", he hissed through clenched teeth. He pulled the trigger and the jed- traitor crumbled lifelessly to the floor.

“Very good, soldier", the chancellor spoke from the side, “now secure him and prepare him for the chip insertion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A low blow, even for Palpatine. But let's be serious, Anakin would have never killed his own men even if that meant to surrender.   
> I always love to read the comments! :D


	33. To Break a Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind comments on the last chapter! :)   
> This chapter is a little longer to make up with my unregular updates :D

**Chapter 33 – To Break a Spirit**

Claustrophobia had fortunately never been one of his problems. The cell they had thrown him into might have been just big enough for him to stretch out in, if the chains connecting his wrists and ankles by a metal belt around his waist had allowed it. Obi-Wan doubted that this part of the prison was legal. There was no light down here, it was cold, and somewhere he heard drops of water running down the walls.

He carefully pulled his legs up to his chest, the electric bands of his shackles humming as he moved them. Their shallow blue glow was the only source of light in his prison. 

A tremor shook his body; the cold and wet had penetrated his thin overall in no time. His knee had also started to hurt at some point and the Jedi had loosened the brace a little to be able to massage the swollen joint a little. At least they hadn't taken away his walking support, that would make an escape increasingly difficult.

'If I can get out of here again,' he thought.

They had taken the bracers from his hands. Obi-Wan watched how his fingers twitched, even though he couldn't tell if it really was because of the nerve damage or just the blasted cold. With a sigh, he clenched his fingers into a fist, suppressing the tremble effectively.

He let his head fall against the wall behind him, trying to ease the headache that had been pounding in his head for what felt like an eternity. The Force suppression collar pressed uncomfortably in his throat, Obi-Wan had no idea how much time had already passed, but judging from his headache and the hunger that was slowly spreading in his stomach, surely at least a day must have passed since the clones had locked him in here.

His thoughts drifted off. Maul had taken Ahsoka probably to Force knows where. If he wanted to have a chance to catch up with them, Obi-Wan knew he had to get out of here as soon as possible. He would never forgive himself if he let Maul lay a hand on the teenager. Neither would Anakin, that he was sure off.

It worried him that Anakin hadn't shown up yet. Normally his friend was always in the front line when it came to saving his master. But also only, so that he could tease him with it later. Obi-Wan wouldn't even care now if this meant they would free Ahsoka from the clutches of this madman. But the mere absence of his former Padawan was a sign that something was very wrong. More than the Jedi Master just knew about.

He hoped that at least Satine was all right and that she would forgive him. After all, it wasn't everyday that one shot his future wife. Still, he mentally prepared himself for Satine to reject him. Obi-Wan could arise her decision and would have to live with it. His mistakes had always haunted him, so this would be nothing new for him. However, it would be no less painful.

With a sigh, the jedi banished these thoughts from his mind. This dark hole began to make him depressed. He should deal with more acute problems. Like his escape. He carefully moved his splint back into position and looked at the shackles around his wrists. They were robust and tight, Obi-Wan would not be able to get rid of them by dislocating his thumbs. An old trick that had often saved him from uncomfortable situations. The shackles were also too tight to squeeze his feet out. He gave the electric cord an experimental tug but was only rewarded with a short jolt of electricity.

"Shit," Obi-Wan cursed, dropping his hands back into his lap. If he had the Force, he'd just pick the locks. But like this? He would need tools. Or just the keys. Somehow, he doubted the guards would hand them over if he asked really nice.

He was stuck for the time being.

Just as he was about to try to get some rest, the plate locking his cell depressurized and swooshed aside, blinding the jedi effectively as three torchlights shone directly in his face. Lifting his hands in front of his eyes, Obi-Wan tried to avoid the light source.

“Get up, traitor", a clone's voice demanded coldly.

“Traitor?”, he moved his hands down again and squinted at the clones, “don't you think that that is a little rude?”

The barrel of a blaster was shoved unceremoniously underneath his chin and Obi-Wan could practically see the glare in the soldier's eyes behind the black visor. “I'll show you what's rude if you don't get moving in a second.”

Obi-Wan carefully nudged the blaster aside, his eyes never leaving the soldier in front of him. “Okay, okay, calm down, trooper. I was just joking.” He didn't need the Force to see that the Clones were acting strange. They were holding themselves more stiffly than usual, the otherwise levelheaded demeanor exchanged against aggressiveness.

The jedi pushed himself up slowly, mindful not to trip over his chains. Limping out of his cell, closely followed by the clone guard, Obi-Wan stepped beside the two other clones.

“Your brother here may have gotten up on the wrong side of the bunk today”, he muttered.

As a reward for his comment, one of the two clones hit him on the back of the head with the pommel of the gun.

“Shut your mouth and move your shebs, traitor."

Obi-Wan grunted and screwed up his face. The whole thing was getting weirder and the Jedi didn't quite know if he liked it.

Before he could think about it further, he was thrust forward, forcing him to stumble to avoid falling. His leg almost gave way under his weight, but thanks to Anakin's stable construction, he stayed on his feet. Still, that didn't help him escape the pain that was once again spreading through the joint.

He hobbled forward; his path barely illuminated by the clones’ helmet lights. The metal tiles squeaked slightly underneath his feet, some of them almost covered completely with rust.

“Any chance you will tell me where you are taking me?”, Obi-Wan tried again.

“You'll find out soon enough; now keep silent or I have to think of cutting your tongue out. You're just lucky we're not allowed to kill you like the rest of your kind.”

The jedi stopped dead in his tracks and whirled around, shock written all over his face. “What did you just say?” Obi-Wan had understood them very clearly, yet the information just wouldn't sink in. That had to be some kind of cruel joke.

Instantly three blasters where pressed to his head, the light increasingly burning into his eyes, it began to hurt.

“Move", one of the clones growled, “we’re tasked with delivering you alive", he leaned in closer then, “but no one said in which condition that is.”

Anger bristling underneath his skin, Obi-Wan bit the insides of his cheeks and clenched his fists. He could take on these three soldiers hand-to-hand. The men in front of him clearly weren't as fighting-approved as his own unit. The jedi had sparred with Cody and the others a million times, armed and unarmed. He knew how to move against someone with a blaster, in fact it would probably take him only a matter of seconds with these three, even with his restraints.

It wouldn't exactly help him though. He needed more information. Who was this Emperor? Where was Anakin? Where had Maul taken Ahsoka? Why did the clones turn against the jedi? Also, he couldn’t kill these men; they were being controlled. Like him, they were trapped, only that their own body was their prison. He felt sorry for them, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but hate the person who had done this to them. If the clones were telling the truth and the Jedi were really dying, even the stoic Negotiator was losing his faith.

There was too much at stake to try escaping now. His ice-cold gaze pierced the three soldiers in front of him before he wordlessly turned back around and shuffled forward.

No, these men were not at fault, he tried telling himself as the urge to lash out threatened to overcome him.

They herded him into an elevator at the end of their hallway of darkness. Its interior was lined with what were probably the brightest lights around. At least, that's how Obi-Wan felt as the bright white light further irritated his already aching eyes.

He closed his eyelids as the elevator slowly began to move. Judging by the travel time, they were quite far down. After a while, a shrill beeping alerted them to the arrival on their destination floor. The corridor which opened up in front of them was plain but nothing like the hole they had kept him in. The walls and floor were tiled with steel-grey metal plates but these parts had been well kept. No rust, no dirt. The lights were slightly bluish, a nice change to the stark white ones in the elevator.

They paraded him through the hallway and Obi-Wan noticed the metal doors with numbers imprinted on the sides. His first thought was that these had to be other cells but those usually had at least a slot in the door to let the guard look into the room.

Suddenly they had stopped moving in front of one of the doors and one of the clones began to operate the panel next to it. With a klick, the door slit aside and they shoved him into it.

No, this wasn't a cell. This was an interrogation room, Obi-Wan noticed with dismay as he recognized the chair and table.

“Not this again", he groaned silently. They should know by now that they wouldn't get him to talk. Wasting no time, the clones pushed him down on the chair which had its back towards the door. Again, his hands and feet were secured to the table and floor.

To his surprise, he was left alone. His fingers tapped lightly on the surface of the metal table, breaking the oppressive silence. This time Obi-Wan could not blame the cold, and somewhere it began to bother him. He wasn't broken, at least that was what he kept telling himself. Anakin had once called him a stubborn son of a gundark, a reference to his sheer inability to give up.

The click of the door behind him made him sit up and take notice. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a darkly dressed person enter the room, his face hidden behind a hood.

Obi-Wan craned his neck as the person walked past him to occupy the chair across from him.

His eyes never leaving the newcomer, the Jedi put on an expressionless face.

"Let me guess, the Emperor himself. Should I be honored that your highness would degrade himself to visit me?", he stated calmly. Ever the Negotiator.

A low chuckle emanated from his opponent’s throat. He could see the toothy grin underneath the obscuring hood. “Bright as always, Master Kenobi. I see why you were so important for the jedi.”

“You’re speaking in the past.” Obi-Wan knew the man’s voice from somewhere, he just couldn’t lay a finger on it yet.

“Did I?”, the man hummed, folding his hands in front of him. The way the man moved was controlled and coordinated. Only a politician paid such attention to his gestures; Obi-Wan had spent enough hours in the Senate to recognize this. And then there was the folding of his hands. The fingers barely touched. A signature move. One he had seen a million times as a member of the Republic.

Chancellor Palpatine.

The jedi straightened himself again, not letting on that he had recognized his counterpart.

“How about we skip these games and you tell me why I am here”, Obi-Wan retorted.

“Always on point, very well then. You got me”, he lifted his hands up in surrender, yet that smile didn’t leave Palpatine’s face, “I guess there's no need to beat around the bush."

He put his hands down and crossed them on the table again.

"The Republic has fallen and my new Empire has risen. The Jedi are no more. They are all dead, slaughtered by your own soldiers."

No. No. NO.

So the clones had been telling the truth. Obi-Wan swallowed the lump in his throat but didn’t let his face slip. The shock sat deep but the jedi master couldn’t afford to lose his composure now.

Lifting an eyebrow, he leaned back in his chair, the electric cords of his bindings sizzling lightly at the movement. “And you expect me to believe this? Sorry, but you need to be much more convincing than that. As far as I am concerned, I neither know your name nor see your face.”

Calm and serenity, the weapons people loved or hated about him.

“Ah, Master Kenobi, you didn’t think I would come empty-handed, didn’t you?”

That grin began to drive him insane.

He watched how Palpatine pulled something out of his robe and slit it over to him on the table. It was a small electrical device. A chip.

Obi-Wan took hold of it and studied it closer. It didn’t look like a normal chip one would insert in a datapad. No, this one was foreign with its small wires sticking out of it. They were probably intended to be manually connected with something.

Turning it over in his hand, he let his eyes set on the Emperor again. “I know they say that actions speak louder than words but I think you still need to enlighten me here.”

“It’s a control chip.” He laughed again. “The one I let every clone be fitted with. It sits right inside their brains, letting them become mindless on demand.”

The jedi stared holes into his opponent, teeth grinding against each other.

He watched how Palpatine stood up then, moving to somewhere behind him. His dark voice resonated from the corner where he couldn’t see him anymore.

“I let your dear apprentice be fitted with a special one.”

A chill ran down his spine, but Obi-Wan chose to keep his silence. No panic. Not now.

That monster had Anakin.

Palpatine went on. “You know, Master Kenobi, you’ve been a vital part in my plan. That boy surely loves you like a father. I thought about fitting you with a chip as well then.”

He heard how the man stepped behind him and icy hands settled on his shoulders. He couldn’t shrug them off, the Chancellor had an iron grip despite being so old.

“It would have sat right there”, a cold finger tapped him on the side of his head, making him jerk to the side; at least he tried to with the hand still clutching his shoulder. “The surgery would have killed you though. I was surprised when I heard that you somehow survived the encounter with Count Dooku. You should have seen your poor apprentice; he was so upset about losing you.”

Anger. Fear. Panic. Hatred. Obi-Wan’s control was slipping.

The hand on his shoulder was removed again and the jedi shuddered involuntarily. Palpatine moved around him again, taking his seat. The smile was even brighter now, his yellowish teeth on display. Obi-Wan wanted to be sick.

His storm-grey eyes bore into the man, mouth drawn into a thin line. “What do you want, _Emperor Palpatine_?”, he snarled.

The smile faded satisfyingly slow.

“You never fail to surprise me, Kenobi.” His voice sounded calm, nevertheless Obi-Wan was sure he heard a slight hint of annoyance. “What gave me away?”

“It’s far more satisfying to let you ponder about that. Now tell me what do you want.”

Palpatine hummed, his lips curling into a small smile again. “I start to like you, Kenobi. A pity I don’t need you any longer.”

His hands slipped underneath the hood hiding his face, letting it fall back against his back.

Red-rimmed, yellow eyes stared back at him, accompanied by that smile. “I see that you’re surprised”, he clicked his tongue, “You don’t know everything, Kenobi. I’ve been right under your nose for years and yet you did nothing. You lost your apprentice to me.”

Palpatine was the Sith lord. He should have trusted his feelings about that man more.

‘You turned a blind eye, for Anakin's sake', a voice inside his head mumbled. It was true, after Anakin had begun to see the chancellor regularly, Obi-Wan had tried to ignore his uneasiness concerning Palpatine. He didn't want another argument with Anakin.

He should have been more persistent. And now his brother was paying the price.

“Anakin will never be like you”, Obi-Wan bit out. He feared for his friend. He had seen what the chips did to the clones. Palpatine could turn his brother into a mindless killing machine. A slave.

“Let’s see about that. You know, I'm not a monster. I'll let you and your apprentice see each other again. I ordered him here as soon as he is finished with cleaning up at the temple.”

Cleaning up the temple. His stomach twisted painfully at the thought. That monster was using Anakin to kill the jedi. Probably even the younglings.

“So this is how you want to rule your new Empire?”, Obi-Wan's blood was boiling underneath his skin, “With terror? Fear? Genocide?”

He shook his head as his anger subdued again. “I don't understand how you can sleep peacefully at night.”

It was impossible to see the human side inside of the man in front of him.

The jedi barely registered how the door behind him opened and someone entered the room.

Palpatine smiled again. “Ah, Lord Vader. I see you finally made it.”

“Yes, master. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. The mission had taken longer than expected.”

Obi-Wan's heart shattered as he heard Anakin call this monster master. Not his best friend. His brother. He didn't dare to turn his head fully knowing that he wouldn't be able to stand what he was seeing.

‘You're a coward', he told himself. Maybe he was. He had reached his end of the line.

“Not to worry my boy", Palpatine said, motioning towards him, “as you see I had… interesting company.”

Even without turning, Obi-Wan felt Anakin's eyes settle on him. For the first time in his life, he felt uncomfortable in the presence of his friend.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi”, Anakin- no, Vader- said, his voice laced with coldness.

“Yes, he's the man I freed you from. He, who has made you a slave.”

Obi-Wan jerked his head around so fast that his neck hurt from the sudden movement.

He didn't know what to feel when he set his eyes on Anakin. His friend’s gaze was devoid of the kindness which had always sparkled in the man's iris, ultimately infecting the people around him. Gone was the joy and mischief Obi-Wan had grown so close to. There was only hatred.

“Anakin, you know I would never-",he tried but was cut off instantly as a prosthetic hand clamped around his throat. His hands jerked uselessly on his restraints.

Anakin pulled him up to his face and growled: “Anakin's a slave name. I'm a free man now. Free from you.”

The hand closed even further around his throat and Obi-Wan gasped for a breath. “Your mother gave you this name, Anakin!”, he croaked, “Shmi Skywalker.”

Maybe there was some kind of recognition in his friend's eyes, but it could have been Obi-Wan's imagination as the oxygen was slowly drained from his lungs.

Strangled by his best friend. What a death, indeed.

As his vision began to black out, the hand on his throat suddenly let loose, leaving him heaving and gasping for air.

Palpatine spoke again. “Remember why you're here, Vader. You wanted to cut loose ends.”

“Anakin, whatever he told you, he's lying. You're being controlled", Obi-Wan pleaded, “I know you can fight this.”

“Shut up, old man.” Vader barked and delivered a sharp kick to his knee, making him bit his tongue in an effort to suppress a scream.

“I can't do it like this. I can barely sense him with that collar on. Besides", Vader smiled smugly, “where's the fun when only one gets to feel it.”

Obi-Wan had a bad feeling, as Palpatine handed Anakin something that looked like a key. He certainly had an idea of where Vader was heading.

“Anakin, please don't do this”, he tried for a last time, but his plead fell on deaf ears.

As the collar fell from his throat, he felt the Force came crushing down on him. It wasn't comforting though. It was screaming, wailing from the sudden losses. Obi-Wan grunted in pain and tried to clear his vision, but the dots just wouldn't disappear.

Anakin laid a hand on his face, right above the scar on the side of his head and made him look up.

“Anakin, please.”

“You'll never control me again", was all Vader said before Obi-Wan began to feel it. He was pulling on their training bond, stretching it to its outmost capacity.

It would rip in just a few seconds. A bond built up by decades of tutelage and friendship, snapped in merely more than a blink of an eye.

Obi-Wan tried to hold on to the tethers that were threatening to snap. He wouldn't let Anakin go. Not like this. Officially, they should have severed the bond after Anakin's knighting, but neither of them had the heart to do it. That bond was what had made them so strong. Obi-Wan had never been good with not becoming attached and he had failed as a teacher on that point as well.

There was not a single regret though.

A scream ripped from his throat as his strength finally left him and with that – his last connection to Anakin. Obi-Wan had thought that a bond snapping due to someone’s death was painful but it was nothing in comparison to someone ripping a bond out voluntarily.

His senses were too numb for him to realize the tears that began to trail down his cheeks. Obi-Wan didn't notice how Vader and Palpatine left the room at some point, letting him drown in his misery.

He watched how his tears formed a small puddle on the table, catching a glimpse of his face in the reflection.

Obi-Wan was just an empty shell now. A body who still hadn't understood when it was time to stop working.

As an armored hand took hold of his wrist, the jedi didn't even flinch. He hadn't sensed the clones approaching, despite the collar still laying discarded next to him.

“Should we do it here?”, one of them asked.

“No, let's take him outside", another clone grunted, “I don't want to have to clean up the mess inside.”

His chains were detached from the floor and table and the clones pulled him out of his seat with arms under his shoulders.

Obi-Wan didn't have the strength to walk anymore, so he let himself dragged forward. Before they left the room, the third clone spoke up again.

“Wait, one can never be too sure with those traitors.”

With a snap, the force suppression collar was back around his neck. Not that Obi-Wan cared about it anymore. 

The walk through the prison vanished in a blur, until a soft breeze hit his face.

He lifted up his head and saw that they had entered the prison's outside yard. The sun was up, but its warmth did nothing to warm him up.

The clones took him through some gates until they reached their destination.

The junk yard. No mess to clean up.

He knees were kicked from behind, making him crash to the floor.

Obi-Wan looked up onto the three soldiers, who had walked a few paces away, taking aim at him.

Closing his eyes, the jedi waited for the end.

The shots came, but never hit him. Instantly hands were on him, cutting away his chains and collar.

“Come on, Obi-Wan. You've got a padawan to save", a familiar voice urged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does the Coruscant prison even have an outside yard? Well, now it does.  
> I promise, we'll see Ahsoka in the next chapter :D


	34. Bite, Scratch and Claw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a chapter! I thought about splitting this up in two chapters but I know I promised that we would see Ahsoka in this one. So, here we go!

**Chapter 34 – Bite, Scratch and Claw**

Satine had been right. He was a coward. As he watched the shuttle depart, Quinlan thought about the choices he made. Was it right to simply turn a blind eye? To abandon his former best friend in favor of saving his own skin?

Obi-Wan had saved his life more than once. No matter what. The former jedi knew that if their situations would be reversed now, his old friend wouldn’t have hesitated to risk his life for him.

As he trudged through the empty streets, the dirt scrunching underneath his boots, Quinlan's chest cramped up. Coming to a halt, he scowled and clenched his hands into fists. He didn't know what to think anymore. The conflict inside of him was driving him insane.

With a roar, he punched a nearby wall, a few chunks coming loose as his fist made contact. A thin layer of dust covered the back of his hand, merging with the blood on his knuckles where the skin had split. “Blast", he grumbled, leaning his head against his arm. Why were things always that difficult? He had cut his ties with the jedi. And that also included his friends, didn't it?

‘No, it does not.’ He knew that that was the only correct answer.

Pulling his fist from the wall, Quinlan looked up into the sky. The sun was almost mocking him as it shone so bright. Obi-Wan might not consider him a friend anymore, maybe he even hated him. Quinlan would understand that. The man had every reason to do so. Force, he wouldn't even mind if his friend straight out punched him in the gut. He would take it.

Somewhere he wasn't so sure what he was more afraid of. Breaking into prison ... or facing Obi-Wan.

“Let's do this", he muttered, drawing the hood tighter around his head. Quinlan needed to find out where exactly they were holding him. He should start with the registration unit of the prison. If they had put Obi-Wan on record like they did with every new arrival, he should find something in the database there. As a former jedi shadow, Quinlan knew how to move undetected. He would have preferred the darkness of the night as backup though, sneaking in the prison in the middle of the day was far from ideal.

He had a feeling that he shouldn't wait any longer though. It was the first time in years that the Force actually spoke to him. Quinlan had felt more than disconnected after leaving the order.

The former jedi made his way up to the higher levels, finally getting near the prison. From his spot on one of the rooftops nearby, he noticed the guards patrolling around the complex and tried to remember their pattern. He had to find a loophole to get inside.

There. He had a time window from maybe a few seconds. The guards on watch weren't really thoroughly with their job, they just focused on what was in front of them, not bothering to take a look around. Which meant if Quinlan managed to slip silently in between the patrolling groups, he could go inside unnoticed. Hopefully.

Another issue were the cameras. He had to use their blind spots or just hope that the guy observing the monitors was sleeping. The plan was risky. Way too risky for his liking, but he didn't really have a choice.

Quinlan centered himself for a last time and made his way over to the prison. His calculations had been correct, he passed the guards unnoticed and also avoided the cameras. He had reserved to use the ventilation shafts at one point, even though he cursed their rather small size as he tried to squeeze his body in. The registration unit was right underneath him, if he had remembered correctly. It had been years since he had seen the insides of this prison last, and that had only been to deliver the scum that he and the jedi had caught on Coruscant.

He peered through the grate covering the shaft, taking in the room underneath him. It was his lucky day, no one was around. Carefully, he removed the grate and let his head flop down through the hole, taking another look around before finally jumping down completely.

The computer terminal was right in front of him, so Quinlan wasted no time and set to work. Of course, this blasted thing had to be password protected. Cursing between clenched teeth the former jedi pulled out his datapad and connected it with the computer. He had to slice his way in. Hacking had never really been his specialty, but he hoped his skills weren't completely rusty. With every 'access denied' that appeared on his small screen, he became more restless. It was only a matter of time before the guards came back.

There. With a relieving beep, the device finally unlocked. Now he just had to find Obi-Wan on the list. Quinlan scrolled through the list before one entry caught his eye. No name, just a number. The date was set five days ago.

_‘Confiscated weapons: Three lightsabers. Notice: Prisoner was strongly aggressive upon his admittance, as well as confused. Followed orders to put the man in special confinement.’_

Quinlan's eyebrows perked up a little as he read the information. “Three lightsabers? That can't be all yours", he muttered. He made a mental note to look for the weapons as well. Maybe they were still in the storage nearby.

He read the short line again. Special confinement. Not a really exact location. And it adhered from the official protocol. The guards were acting in behalf of someone. Frowning, Quinlan closed the list again and locked the computer terminal again. He had a feeling that this was going to turn into a wild bantha chase.

Until now, no guards had entered the room. Which was good but also somehow strange. He climbed back up into the shaft and closed the grate behind him. The former jedi shuffled forward as silently as he could.

There were voices somewhere in front of him. Clone's voices. Quinlan crawled closer.

“… much do you think these are worth…?” “A traitor's weapon? No one would dare to buy this now. Everyone associating with this scum is to be executed.”

“Maybe just the crystal inside?” A loud bang could be heard as one of the troopers seemingly tried to open the weapon with force. “That’s got to be worth something. “

Quinlan finally reached the next grate. Indeed, the two guards who should be stationed in the other room were manhandling a lightsaber in an attempt to crack it open. He winced in sympathy every time the metal hilt collided with the edge of the storage crate.

He waited until one of them lifted the saber up to look directly into the blade extraction point.

“Idiot", he murmured and simply used the Force to activate the weapon. The blue blade came to life with a lot of flickering but it still worked, piercing right through the clone's head. As the now deadweight fell to the floor, Quinlan jumped down as well, effectively stopping the other trooper who was scrambling for his blaster with the Force.

He pinned the struggling man to the wall and drew his own lightsaber.

“Where is the jedi?”, he hissed.

“Jedi? I- I don't know what you're…”, the man began but was quickly silenced as Quinlan pressed hid blade closer to his throat.

“The- The emperor and his apprentice were here to visit him a few hours ago. They ordered him to be executed afterwards”, he stumbled over his own words, “please don't kill me!”

Quinlan snarled and got his face close to the other man. “You'll tell me where they took him and I might think about it.”

“Please I don't know, I swear! Probably somewhere outside though.”

That information had to suffice for now. “If I find out you lied, I'll be back for you.”

With that he rendered the man unconscious and let the body flop to the floor.

Quinlan turned and pried the deactivated lightsaber from the dead troopers' fingers. It was indeed Obi-Wan's. The hull was slightly scratched from the manhandling but nothing non-fixable. He worried more about the insides; he had seen the blade flicker a lot. Obi-Wan definitely had some repairs to do. Clipping the weapon to his belt, Quinlan looked into the storage crate in front of him. Two more lightsabers laid inside. A saber and a shoto to be exact. They were small in size so he guessed they had to belong to the missing padawan. What was her name again? Ahsoka Tano? He had seen her name shortly on the screen while watching the Holo News, but he knew that the girl had to be Obi-Wan’s grandpadawan.

He put the weapons on his belt as well and made to leave but not before snatching the access cards from the clones. These would hopefully grant him a free passage. He had to get into the outside yard. And he had the nagging feeling he was running out of time. Well, not him but Obi-Wan.

He exchanged vigilance for speed, hoping to be fast enough after all. As he ran through the corridors, he realized once again how insane the whole plan was. Only there was no turning back. Either he pulled this off and saved Obi-Wan, or probably died at his side because the clones discovered him first.

He snuck around the troopers in the hallways and finally came closer to his destination. The outside yard had to be behind his door. Using his stolen access card, he let himself in. The yard was plain, lined by high walls. Towers were stationed at the corners with probably snipers sitting inside. Quinlan stayed hidden as well as he could manage, observing the place until something caught his eye.

By the junkyard, three soldiers kicked someone brutally to the ground and took their positions on the other side of him, aiming directly at their victim's torso.

“Shit", Quinlan cursed loudly and took off in a Force-enhanced sprint, blowing off his cover. That definitely Obi-Wan, he would recognize that redhead everywhere. Somewhere behind him the alarm began to blare, but he couldn't care less now. Lit lightsaber in his hand, the former jedi jumped over the fence right in front of Obi-Wan. He was no second to late he realized, as he barely managed to deflect the blaster bolts back at the troopers. Instantly, he whirled back around to his friend and swiftly cut away the chains around his ankles, wrist and waist, as well as the Force suppression collar around his neck.

“Come on, Obi-Wan. You’ve got a padawan to save", he urged, pulling the man up on shaky feet. His friend was light, way too light, but Quinlan didn't have the time to study him closer now. Still holding on to the jedi's upper arm, he tried to come up with a plan. They've been detected. It would take maybe a few minutes for this place to be swarmed with droids and soldiers.

“Now would be a great time for one of your glorious plans “, he said, eyes casting over shortly to look at Obi-Wan. His gaze was blank, eyes staring into nothingness. Quinlan thought that he saw a flash of yellow in the man's blue-grey iris but quickly dismissed it. Not Obi-Wan, the jedi was like a personification of the Light. He quickly realized that his friend wouldn't be much help right now.

Quinlan cursed again and frantically searched for their way out. The garbage chute. He knew that they discarded the waste on the lowest levels of Coruscant. The fall was deep, non-survivable for a normal human. They had the Force. Hopefully it was enough for them to pull through.

He pulled Obi-Wan over with him and motioned for the plate holding the chute closed. “You have to help me with this.”

Obi-Wan seemed to snap out of his daze a little and silently helped him to push the plate aside. Quinlan watched how his friend peered down the tunnel and snapped his head around to stare at him with disbelieve. He didn't know what to make of his silence, but Quinlan decided to worry about that later. Obi-Wan went through hell and back, in his situation the former jedi wouldn't know what to say either.

“Yes, I'm serious. If you don't have a better plan right now, I suggest we make a run for it. _Now._ ”

The duo didn't have time to come up with a better plan though, as the first soldiers came barging in.

“Go!”, Quinlan shouted and made a jump for the chute. To his relieve, he heard his friend scramble in behind him.

He lost track of how long they actually fell. At some point, the floor – or rather pile of junk – came into view. The former jedi repositioned himself midair and began to cushion his fall, hoping that Obi-Wan would do the same. The man clearly wasn't at his best right now.

Both men collided with the pile rather ungracefully and began to tumble down its sides. Hacking and coughing, Quinlan finally came to a halt. They made it. He pushed himself out of the junk, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he began to notice the smell. Getting rid of that won't be easy.

Brushing himself off as best as he could, he began to realize something. He was alone. Quinlan yanked his head around and tried to catch a glimpse of his friend.

“Obi-Wan?”, he called.

“I'm here", came the disgruntled reply and Quinlan watched as the jedi peeled himself out of the pile, landing beside him with a small grunt. The man clearly hadn’t managed to cushion his fall like Quinlan had.

“Look at that, you can talk after all!”, he joked, clamping his hand on his friend's shoulder.

“Hm”, Obi-Wan grumbled and simply pushed the hand down.

Quinlan studied him for a moment. “Still too early? I see", he let his hand flop back down against his side, “look, I- I want you to know that I'm sorry, okay? For you know – just disappearing.”

Obi-Wan had turned his face away, but Quinlan still saw the slight nod. His silence was worse than the predicted anger. Still, he could tell by the way he tensed his muscles that Obi-Wan was seething inside.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, he hoped that the man would at least say something. But there was nothing. Obi-Wan didn't want to talk. Quinlan understood, but it didn't keep him from mulling over it.

“Let's get off the street", he suggested, “somewhere safer than here.”

Trudging past Obi-Wan, the former jedi began to lead them through the lower levels, Obi-Wan not trailing far behind him. He couldn't help but notice that the man walked with a limp, the pained grimace on his face only poorly hidden. Not turning around, he shot a glance backwards.

There was a brace around his knee which seemed to be the only reason Obi-Wan was even walking on his own. His friend had been injured. More likely crippled. Not for the first time, Quinlan asked himself if things would have turned out different if he hadn't left.

And then there were those thick scars on the side of his head, he still couldn't understand how he missed them the first time he had looked at his friend. The former jedi wasn't really sure he wanted to know the story behind all this. Probably it would make him regret his decisions even more.

The men reached the apartment unseen and Quinlan quickly ushered Obi-Wan inside, closing the door behind him.

“You can use the shower if you want to, I'll see if I have a set of clothes for you to change into.”

Not waiting for an answer, he walked off and began to rummage through his drawer. He was fairly larger than Obi-Wan, it wouldn't be easy to find something that would somewhat fit the man. After searching for a few minutes, he found a simple black top and some equally black cargos. They were both a little small for himself so he hoped they would do the job.

He returned with the pile and simply pressed them into Obi-Wan's arms. The jedi studied the clothes in his arms before he finally looked at Quinlan. “Thanks, Quinlan.” _For returning,_ was left unsaid but Quinlan didn't need to hear it out loud.

He only nodded in response and watched how Obi-Wan silently retreated into the refresher. The loss and hurt displayed in his friend's eyes hadn't been hidden from him. Quinlan knew better than to push him to talk.

Obi-Wan reentered the room a short time later, looking cleaner but no less lost and exhausted. The clothes hung a little loose around his frame but they weren't fairly too large. It was strange to see him in dark clothes though.

“You okay? That fall wasn’t easy.” He could still feel the impact rattle in his bones.

“I’m not worse than before if that’s what you want to know.”

“Insightful as always”, Quinlan sighed and motioned towards the kitchen, “If you’re hungry or something, help yourself. There should be something in the cooling unit. I’ll go clean myself up in the meantime.”

When he returned, Obi-Wan had sat down at the kitchen table with a glass of water in front of him, head propped up on his forearms. Of course, no food.

He sat down across from him, slipping the three lightsabers onto the table. “Thought you might want to have those back.”

Obi-Wan looked up from the glass and let his eyes rest on the weapons. Something changed in his expression the longer he stared at the sabers.

“Obi-Wan?”, Quinlan craned his head to catch the man’s eyes.

“It’s all my fault”, Obi-Wan wasn’t even acknowledging him, like he was caught in a daze, “Maul. I let him get away with murdering Qui-Gon and now he has taken Ahsoka.”

His voice sounded dry as the words tumbled from his mouth. “Palpatine – no, Sidious. I knew something was off about the man and yet I let him kill the jedi. I let him get his hands on Anakin.”

The last sentence was spat out with self-loathing and unbridled anger. Quinlan watched how trembling fingers tightened around the glass, threatening to crush it.

“You're not to blame.”

The hand around the glass suddenly stilled and Quinlan was met with steel-grey eyes, tinted slightly yellowish. He barely suppressed the gasp that wanted to escape his mouth.

“Everything I have ever done - has led to this. I was too slow and Qui-Gon had to die for my failure. Training Anakin was the greatest gift I had ever received - and yet I let him walk into the arms of a Sith Lord because I didn't know how to handle the boy. Damn it Quinlan, who is to blame if not me?”, Obi-Wan's voice cracked as he fought his inner turmoil, “I had a responsibility to Anakin - and still do – Nevertheless I fail all the way down the line. Sometimes I wonder if things would have been different if Qui-Gon had survived on Naboo. Or if I had never left Melida/Daan or Bandomeer. Never have become a padawan like I was supposed to.”

“Obi-Wan, don't walk down that path.”

His friend huffed and pressed his eyes closed. “Says the one who ran it up and down.”

He was right, Quinlan had fallen often enough. But dancing on the line between the Dark and the Light came with a price – one which threatened to kill him if he made a mistake. You just don't simply switch between the Light and Dark Side, every time you lose something on the way, something that makes you yourself, what defines your very soul. It certainly wasn't worth it.

His lips were dry as the former jedi spoke again. “Then trust me.”

He pushed the lightsabers over so they were almost touching Obi-Wan's hands. “You have people who depend on you, my friend. I met Satine and Padme, together with the kids. I helped them to get off-world. They're on a ship to Alderaan. She asked me to help you and your padawan, you know", he swallowed thickly, “I was almost too afraid to face you again.”

He curled his fingers into a loose fist. “When I left the order – I wanted to leave everything behind. The years that followed were lonely, Obi-Wan. The Dark Side is not comforting; it haunts you even when you try to leave it behind.”

The jedi master opened his eyes again and their blue color had returned. But the yellow trace was still there. “What do you want me to do, Quinlan?”, he rasped. _I don't know what to do._ Was whispered into the Force.

“Go and rescue your grandpadawan. She needs you now.”

Obi-Wan nodded and took the two small lightsabers in his hand, turning them over. “I don't know where to start.”

“I think I can help you with that", a small smile appeared on Quinlan's lips, “I have contacts that can help you track down Maul's ship.”

He watched as Obi-Wan let the weapons disappear in one of the trousers’ pockets, before picking up his own lightsaber. The jedi took note of the damage done to the hilt shortly, then clipped it to his belt. “Then let's go, I guess.” His voice still lacked that fighting spirit Quinlan had admired when they had been younger but he wouldn't be able to change that for now.

It took the men a few hours before they finally got the information they needed.

Zygerria. That was Maul's destination. He probably intended to sell the padawan off to the slavers. Obi-Wan had to be fast if he wanted to have a chance at tracking her, but Quinlan doubted that anything could stop his friend. The man had been so furious as he heard about the Sith’s destination; it had been more than frightening.

The duo stood in front of one of the small freighters Quinlan managed to produce.

“You sure you don't want to come with me?", Obi-Wan asked, “I could use the backup.”

Pressing his lips together, Quinlan shook his head. “No, I'm sorry. I'll stay here and try to see if I can help more refugees out. Maybe I'll find something to stop all this.”

Obi-Wan’s expression saddened a little, but he still nodded in understanding. “I see. I want you to keep this then. Perhaps you can find some information about this.”

He pressed a chip into his hand. “What is this?”

“It's a control chip. Palpatine planted them inside the clones' heads and one in Anakins' as well.”

Quinlan stared at the small device with disbelieve. “I'll see what I can do. But I won't make any promises.”

“Thank you, Quinlan – for everything I mean.” The jedi looked briefly up the ramp behind him. “I should go now.”

“You don't need to thank me, Obi-Wan. I should have come looking for you far earlier”, he clutched the chip in his hand, “I'll keep in touch.”

He watched how his friend ascended the ramp and it began to close behind him.

Quinlan never should have hesitated for so long; he knew that now.

* * *

Ahsoka had lost track of time at some point. But judging by the swelling of her arm, they had to be traveling for a few days now. She gently pried the bloody bandage aside, revealing the nasty cut inside her palm. Her assumption had been correct, the wound was infected. Moving her hand had become nearly impossible and she knew if the breaks weren't treated properly soon – she might never be able to move it like before. Her days of wielding two sabers might be over.

The teenager rewrapped the wound as best as she could again. She just had to hold on. Someone must be looking for her. Her master would never abandon her. Not Anakin.

Cradling her arm against her chest, Ahsoka let her mind wander. It had been days. And no one had shown up yet.

Where they even looking for her? Was there anyone left to look for her at all? The Togruta could barely remember what had happened on that evening. There had been a crash. Maul. And then nothingness. Maybe it was the lack of the Force that muddled her brain; maybe it was the hunger and thirst. Maybe it was the sickness which started crawling up her arm. She didn’t know.

Maul hadn’t come in for a long time. Ahsoka knew that they must have stopped, as the ships’ rattling had fallen silent. She gingerly stood up on shaky feet and dragged herself over to the door of the cargo hold.

She was a jedi. She had trained all her life. She wouldn’t back down without a fight.

That Zabrak had to come in at some time. And then Ahsoka would be there, waiting for him.

Making up her mind, she positioned herself next to the door and waited. This was her only chance. The chains around her wrists would hinder her, but they wouldn’t keep her from running. She had always been fast.

She could do this.

Like a hunter waiting for his pray, Ahsoka lurked next to the door. Back leant against the wall, she sunk into a light meditative state. The Force had always helped her with clearing her mind, but now as it was gone, she would have make do without it. The padawan closed her eyes and focused on her hearing.

It could have been minutes or hours, the time passing by had meant nothing to Ahsoka. Only one thing mattered.

Maul had returned, his metal feet were screeching over the hallway. Ahsoka knew that the Sith would sense her next to the door. She had to catch him by surprise, be faster than him.

Time slowed for her as the door finally opened. Ahsoka moved with a speed no normal human could possess. She dived low and slipped right between his feet. Kicking his legs out from underneath him had been on her mind for a moment, but she didn't have the Force now. She might not be strong enough to do it.

The Togruta just managed to scramble to her feet behind the Zabrak as she felt a hand swoosh past her montrals. Maul had tried to grab her.

Ahsoka ran for her life. She had been lucky that the Sith had been too perplexed to simply catch her with the Force. The ship was small and the padawan quickly managed to find the loading ramp.

It was open. She didn't give that a second thought and stumbled down the ramp. They had landed on a sandy planet, in some kind of city. This was not Tatooine, Ahsoka would have recognized that.

She had never seen this kind of species before, but that wasn't what stroke her mind. It was the Twi’leks and Togrutas held on chains by their respecting owners.

This was a slave planet. The Sith wanted to sell her.

Cursing, Ahsoka tried to run as fast as her feet would carry her. Maul was behind her; she could feel it even without the Force.

“A Runaway!”, someone called, as she bolted through the streets, “catch her!”

Oh no. The teenager heard the shots before they actually came flying towards her. The guards had opened fire on her.

She slipped into a small alley, trying to shake them off, but it was to no avail. A guard rounded the corner right in front of her, gun aimed at her chest.

“And where do you think you're going, slave?”, he sneered.

“I'm _not_ a slave", Ahsoka remarked and began to back off again, only to feel another two guards approach her from behind.

Blast. She was trapped. In a last attempt, she tried to jump past the guard in front of her, but the man was faster. A shot rang out and Ahsoka felt a blaster bolt hit her calf. With a cry, she crumbled to the floor.

“We do not take kindly to runaway slaves.” The man leaned down and pinned her down with his foot. Her arm screamed in agony as the man's weight grinded against the broken bone and she bit her tongue. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction to scream.

“She's mine", a voice then rang out, “now get that foot of her.”

Maul. He had found her.

The foot was lifted and Ahsoka could feel herself hoisted up with the Force. Maul pulled her towards him and clipped a chain on her collar.

“You should have known better than to try to run away, little jedi", he growled, his yellow eyes glowering down on her, “you'll earn me a hefty sum of credits.”

Without waiting for an answer, the Sith dragged her forward, not minding that Ahsoka was barely able to walk with the blaster wound.

She was herded towards a giant building, something that resembled a palace. The guards just let them through, Ahsoka couldn’t tell if they were too afraid of Maul to stop him or if he actually was announced.

A large throne room opened itself up in front of her. A feline creature sat on the throne at the opposite side, lined by six guards.

Maul tucked her forward and Ahsoka could do nothing than stumble behind him. This was the end of the road for her. She just knew it. Slavers were no folk to mess with.

The padawan could just hope that the others weren't following her. It would only bring their death.

She closed herself off and tried to keep calm. Ahsoka had to survive on her own, she couldn't always count on her master to save her.

Watching how Maul and the woman, obviously the queen, conversed, she felt a shiver running down her spine. She couldn't believe this was really happening.

“Queen Miraj", she heard Maul speak, “I think I have something that you might be interested in. A jedi spawn.”

The queen’s eyes lit up with interest and she stood up from her chair gracefully, starting to round Ahsoka. A hand touched her padawan braid briefly, making her jerk away.

“The jedi are branded as traitors throughout the galaxy", she discoursed, “And this one isn't even a knight.”

“You can do whatever you want", Maul grumbled, “the jedi are extinguished. There will be no consequences. I guess she will be quite valuable to you.”

Miraj was standing somewhere behind her. “She will be", she chuckled, “So what do you want?”

Ahsoka turned her head to look at Maul's face. He had turned his face upwards, a menacing smile on display.

“I want 50000 credits… and a few of your men for my revenge.”

“Your revenge?”

Maul turned around to face the queen. “There's this jedi master…”, he seethed, beginning to pace, “he took everything from me.”

He drew closer to the woman, eyes shining with insanity. “If he's still alive, he might be looking for this padawan. I want to break him. Take what he has taken from me.”

Miraj looked up at Maul, a small smile on your lips. “I start to like you, Maul. We have a deal; you'll get my best soldiers. But if that jedi turns up here…and he survives your fight", she drew close to Maul's ear, whispering directly into it, “you'll deliver him to me.”

Ahsoka stared in shock on the scene that played in front of her. They were using her as a bait and she could do nothing about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still thinking of the POV for the next chapter.... Maybe Obi-Wan, maybe Maul or Ahsoka, maybe all of them :D I don't know.   
> As always let me know what you think!


	35. Blood and Sand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter this time! Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 35 – Blood and Sand**

Obi-Wan watched how the small, blue crystal twirled in the air in front of him. It wasn't humming with joy and content anymore. The song had fallen silent, all that was left was the crystal’s physical appearance. It was allowing him to use it as a power source, nothing more. He had changed, Obi-Wan noticed with a dull expression – and still did. He didn't know who he was anymore.

A jedi? No, he broke the code. He had used the Dark Side. He had let his attachment get the better of him. And the jedi were gone now. His home was gone.

He certainly wasn't a jedi no more. Those days had passed.

A brother? He had forsaken Anakin. Left him with Palpatine. Brothers should stand side by side, even in the darkest hours. No, he didn't deserve that title.

A husband? He hadn't seen Satine in days. She didn't know what he had done to save her. Obi-Wan knew she would resent him for that choice. The ring he had for her was probably lost in the burning ruins of the Jedi Temple. He didn't know if he was still the man, she had fallen in love with all those years before. The whole thing left a bitter taste on his tongue. Maybe he shouldn’t be a husband either.

Pain was the only thing he brought to the ones he loved or cared about.

A friend. At least he could try to be that. Quinlan had left him. Obi-Wan had never expected to see the man again. Least of all at this time. Maybe he should have used the chance to talk to him. Make ammends. But his own anger had gotten in the way. Obi-Wan knew he should forgive Quinlan; it was just that he just couldn't forget what had happened. You don't just drop a friend, only to resurface later. His friend had hurt him and it had taken him years to apologize just once. He didn't know if he could forgive Quinlan so quickly; he was tired of always being the second choice. Still, he needed a friend. Now more than ever.

Anakin’s bond had left a gaping hole inside his mind and Obi-Wan had a hard time with shielding himself. It felt like the Force itself was torturing him. His head was still throbbing badly from the ordeal and he wasn’t sure if his previous head injury was finally backfiring at him. Master Che had warned him about the possibility that the bleeding might return if he was exposed to too much stress. Not that he could have changed any of the things that had happened in the last few days, Obi-Wan thought bitterly. He only realized now how much he had needed Anakin – had depended on him. Anakin might not think the same about him, but that had never mattered to Obi-Wan. He would have gladly taken his friend’s place if it had meant that Anakin would walk free and would be left in peace.

He sadly never got that choice.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and let the hull of his lightsaber close around the crystal again. As the hilt dropped into his outstretched hand, he thought about what was about to come.

He knew that Maul was waiting for him on Zygerria. The Sith had run away from him the last time, almost killing Satine and taking Ahsoka in the process. One way or another, this would be the end. For whom, was still open.

Obi-Wan just wouldn't make Ahsoka pay for his mistakes. She deserved better. She deserved Anakin. It was the truth, Obi-Wan had chosen Ahsoka as his next Padawan back then. For once, at least, he would have wanted to make the choice himself. The Council had agreed with him when he had made his request. He was all the more surprised when she was assigned to Anakin instead. He had felt betrayed and degraded at that point, yet he couldn't help but be happy for the two of them as he watched their bond begin to grow and glow.

After that, he just hadn't had it in him to choose a Padawan again.

His fingers ghosted shortly over to his commlink. Biting his lip, Obi-Wan thought about calling Satine.

He let his hand flop down again after a moment. It was too dangerous. The Empire was looking for all of them. He had no doubt that Palpatine might send the 212th and Anakin - Vader - after him. No, he needed to stay hidden as long as he could. Which also met closing himself off from the Force.

Letting out a breath, his eyes settled back on the view port. He's been flying for little more than a day now. Zygerria was almost within reach. Avoiding the main hyperspace routes hadn't been easy, but it was way too risky to use them. Obi-Wan hoped that at least some of the jedi had survived. But he knew their chances were bad, especially for the ones who were stationed at the front lines. The Force was still a thunderous whirlwind of pain and death; he could not tell if any of his friends had survived.

Plo. Kit. Master Che. Probably dead. Maybe alive. He couldn't tell. And might never know.

He hoped that he wasn't too late for Ahsoka. If Maul or someone else had laid a hand on her - Obi-Wan didn't know if he would be able to stop himself.

Knowing that it would take a few hours until he would arrive at Zygerria, he decided to rest for a while. He would need all his strength, if he wanted to have a chance. The pilot chair wasn’t comfortable by any means and it pressed against the bruises Obi-Wan knew were blooming all over his back, arms and legs, but it was the best he would get. Quinlan had provided him with a droid to help him out, yet the possibility to be attacked on route was far to great, for him to lay down in one of the cots in the back.

Leaning his head against the backrest, Obi-Wan tried to settle down for a few hours. Despite not having slept properly in days, sleep just wouldn’t come. No, he couldn’t do it. The images that popped up in his head everytime he closed his eyes were too much. With a gasp, he leaned forward, elbows on his knees and head resting in both hands. He squeezed his eyes shut, trembling fingers resting over his eyelids, and tried to breath through the panic that wanted to overcome him.

A soft beeping noise tore him from his daze. As he opened his eyes and twisted his head in his hands a little, he was met with the sight of a small astromech next to him.

_R2_ , was the first thing he thought. But no, this wasn’t Anakin’s droid. The R2-unit in front of him was yellow and white. He huffed at the droid’s inquiry for his wellbeing. Even the droid was concerned for him now.

“I’m fine”, he grumbled and ran his hands through his hair, “go back to your work or whatever you’ve been doing.”

The droid whistled unhappily on the blunt dismissal, but began to retreat. Obi-Wan wasn’t really fluent with Binary, that had always been Anakin’s thing, but even he understood how the droid mumbled something about him being an ‘ _ungrateful and grumpy human’_.

In another time, he might have had a witty remark on his lips. Now, he only stared blankly in front of him.

He didn’t know what he should see in the never-ending darkness that occupied the viewport. The blue streaks of hyperspace zipped by constantly, making him dizzy when he looked at them for too long. Perhaps that was the only thing that hasn’t changed. He still hated flying.

_a few hours later_

Obi-Wan must have fallen asleep at some point, the exhaustion finally getting the upper hand on him. His neck cracking painfully as he was jolted from his slumber, he noticed that the little astromech was back and whistling loudly at him to finally wake up.

“I’m awake”, he mumbled, rubbing his reddened eyes, “You can stop torturing my ears now.”

His headache hit him again with full force and the shrill beeping sounds coming from the droid weren’t helping him at all. Thankfully, the droid finally stopped blaring and studied him with its green sensor, as if it had noticed his discomfort.

“Don’t look at me like that”, Obi-Wan sighed, “I’m not dying on you, if that’s what concerns you. I’ve just got a headache.”

_‘You look terrible’_ , the droid beeped, _‘especially for a human.’_

This statement somehow managed to make him laugh. "What do you know about human aesthetics?"

The astromech began to ramble something about his travels with Quinlan Vos, but before the droid could elaborate deeper on its experience, Obi-Wan had to interrupt it.

“You know what? Stop right there”, he waved his hands in front of him, “I think I don’t really want to know where you got this particular information.”

“Just remind me to punch Quinlan when we meet again”, he stated dryly and turned back to the viewport.

Zygerria bathed the cockpit in a yellow-reddish light and it was as if the heat of the planet was already scorching Obi-Wan's skin. Desert planets had never been among his favorite places, least of all probably Geonosis. But the second place definitely went to Zygerria. Even though it was the first time he visited this planet, Obi-Wan already had a strong dislike for it. The droid was whistling something about getting sand into its gears, making Obi-Wan smile sadly. Let it be a droid to remind him constantly on his lost padawan. Anakin had always ranted about how much he hated sand, much to his own amusement. Obi-Wan remembered how he had once placed a jar full of sand in Anakin's room, with a note that he would pour it out if the boy didn't stop playing tricks on him. Of course, this was only meant as a joke, both men had laughed heartily about it afterwards. And it definitely hadn't stopped Anakin from further pranking his master.

Obi-Wan chuckled softly, those had been good times. Before the war. Before Anakin started pushing him away.

He steered the vehicle down towards the planet's surface, landing somewhere in the outskirts. Pushing himself out of his seat, he went to grab the robe Quinlan had given him and pulled it over his head. Obi-Wan pushed the button to open the ramp and turned his head towards the astromech.

“You'll stay here. Keep the ship ready for departure", he looked at the city behind him, “I have a feeling we'll have to make a quick getaway later.”

Obi-Wan stepped down the ramp, the sand crunching under his boots. A light breeze stirred up a little of the ground, and he hoped the sand wouldn't get stuck in his brace.

The hood over his head provided him with a little shade over his eyes, but it was still far too bright for his liking. His disguise was far from ideal, but Obi-Wan didn't plan to stay undercover for long. He just had to reach Maul without being attacked first.

With the plan in his head, he began to limp toward the city. He gained entry via one of the less frequented side alleys, observing his surroundings with a keen eye.

The Zygerrians were fighters. Strongly built by nature and biting at the same time. If he could avoid it, Obi-Wan did not want to get into a fight with them unnecessarily. And then there were the slaves. Many Togrutas. Young or old obviously made no difference to the Zygerrians. They were all valued equally little, used like a piece of furniture. Obi-Wan's stomach twisted. He wanted to help these people, but he was alone. Even with backup, this would have been madness, but like this, it was nothing more than suicide. Tightening his jaw, he forced himself to look away. It went against everything he had ever learned, but he didn't know any other way to help himself. The Jedi were no more. He was nothing more than a man who knew how to use the Force. If he had the strength and resources, he would free them all, he promised himself.

Obi-Wan slipped further into the city, getting near what looked like the palace. Maul most likely would be there. The closer he got, the louder the noise became. The fighting pits. Of course. He knew that the Zygerrians pitted the slaves against each other like gladiators. The fights were brutal and bloody, often fought with ancient metal weapons. The slave owners bet on the participants, hoping to make as much profit as possible from this bloodbath. And from the sounds of it, the spectator stands were filled to capacity.

He could feel Maul's aura pulsating inside the arena. The Zabrak was waiting for him. Obi-Wan sneaked inside and peaked into the sand pits.

There he was. Standing on a podest, blood splayed beneath his feet, bodies littering the ground, was Maul. They had promised these slaves their freedom if they defeated this monster. A death sentence, but for many of the desperate people a last spark of hope. Obi-Wan growled and watched how Maul lifted his hands on the podest, calling for more opponents.

His hands clenching, Obi-Wan steadied his breathing. He had to do this. Maul was his way to get Ahsoka back.

With that, he jumped down on the rough sand, landing with a thud. His face still hidden by his hood; he approached the madman.

“Maul.”

The Zabrak whirled around, a bloody weapon in his hand, an evil grin on his face. “Kenobi, how nice of you to finally join us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Obi-Wan vs Maul!  
> I still don't know how the fight is going to end or how they will fight at all.  
> Let me know what you think :D


	36. Whatever It Takes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I've managed to complete this chapter. Sorry for the long wait!

**Chapter 36 – Whatever It Takes**

He had been waiting for this for so long. And now he was here. Kenobi. Maul had wanted to duel that man since Naboo. Make him pay for what the jedi did to him. But it wouldn't be enough – it could never be. He would make a show out of it, when he beat Kenobi down. Here, in the slave pits. And if he were victorious over him - the Jedi would know nothing but a life of chains and misery. The Zygerrians knew how to break slaves gifted with the Force. But he would break Kenobi personally first.

_‘If he doesn't break you first.’_

Maul licked his teeth and spread a nasty smile. Taking his eyes from the jedi, who hid himself underneath his black robe, he looked up to the gallery where the queen was watching the fights with glee. Spreading his arms wide, Maul called up to her.

“Queen Miraj!”, he yelled, “My worthy opponent has arrived! _Jedi Master_ Obi-Wan Kenobi!”

The crowd went loud with cheers and Maul felt how the blood in his veins began to pound even stronger. Yes, that is how it supposed to be. Let the mighty jedi fall in front of his future owners. Maul was betting that enough people would be interested in Kenobi after this fight. If he would be able to function after this, that is.

_‘Never underestimate your enemy.’_

Maul whirled back around towards the jedi, ignoring the voice. “Let's give these people a show, Kenobi", he snarled, “Choose your weapon of demise!” He motioned for the metal blades and spears scattered around the arena; the weapons of the slaves who lost the fight against him. Another roar went through the arena. The audience wanted more blood.

Kenobi had yet to say something, but Maul could see the fiery glint of blue eyes underneath the hood. The man wasn't afraid. He had himself under control. The jedi's shields were tight, impenetrable. Something about that man was off but he couldn't tell what it was.

_‘You should fear the man who has nothing to give but everything to lose.’_

Huffing, Maul tightened his grip on the double-bladed staff in his hand. “I'll never fear that man”, he whispered, watching how Kenobi began to move slowly. The jedi stepped over the dead, avoiding the blood puddles in the sand.

Maul traced every of the man's movements. Kenobi still walked unevenly but at the same time portrayed a strength that was somehow unnerving.

_‘You signed your death warrant.’_

“Silence", he hissed between clenched teeth. The jedi had seemingly found his weapon of choice. Maul watched how Kenobi gently rolled one of the fallen slaves over and began to unwind the blades from the man's arms. An extraordinary weapon. Two blades with a short length of chain on the handles. Somehow lightweight but nevertheless deadly in the hands of a warrior like Kenobi. The Sith had thought about using them himself, but he felt more comfortable with the staff. Still kneeling in the sand, the jedi hesitated for a second before he moved his hand and the eyes of the dead slave fell closed.

Then Kenobi set the blades down on the sand and discarded the robe, finally revealing his face to the Zygerrians. The noise of the crowd was almost deafening. He wrapped the chains around his now bare forearms and grabbed the handles steadily in his palms afterwards.

Maul began to realize what had unnerved him about Kenobi. The man didn't look like a jedi no more. The familiarity had vanished. He couldn't read the man in front of him. 

Those constricting beige tunics were gone, replaced by a black top and trousers. With the offending scar on his head, Kenobi looked more like a mercenary or bounty hunter, no shining knight of the mighty order. And then there were these eyes. Maul hadn't got a good look at them before, but now, as Kenobi stood in this arena, bloody blades in his hands, he noticed the yellow speckles in the man's iris which almost seemed to reflect in the burning sun. The jedi had fallen. But the so infuriating compassion of his wasn’t gone. No, the man still cared deeply for his friends. His biggest weakness.

_‘He’s one step closer to the edge.’_

Maul chuckled and readied himself on the podest. Kenobi took his place opposed to him; a grim expression drawn on his face.

“How do you feel, Kenobi? About to fail again", he taunted, “Like you failed your pathetic master.”

A smile was the last reaction he had expected. Kenobi smiled, but it never reached his eyes. No, those were ice-cold, making Maul shiver under their gaze.

Was that the madness people saw in his own eyes?

_‘I told you before, you two are very much alike.’_

“Is that all you want to say, Maul?”, the jedi asked calmly, “Or do you want to make another long speech about how you will make me suffer and take your revenge?”

Nervousness began to spread inside him, but Maul played it down with a bared grin on his part. "What happened to your silver tongue, _Negotiator_? Has my master finally taken your mind?”

“Your master-”, Kenobi chuckled, letting his eyes drift over the spectator stands, shortly locking onto the queen before his gaze returned to Maul, “your master… He has already replaced you. You mean nothing to him anymore.”

“That's where you're wrong, Kenobi. He cut me free of my chains”, Maul growled, “I am free.”

_‘Free in your own imagination.’_

With a roar he advanced upon the jedi, swinging his staff viciously. The metallic clank of their blades colliding echoed through the arena. The jedi blocked all of his attacks with ease or simply sidestepped the deadly cutting edge. The man was evading him.

It made Maul’s blood boil.

"Start fighting, you coward!" he roared as Kenobi blocked the staff with the chains around his forearms, "Or is the life of your grandpadawan worth so little to you?"

_‘You shouldn’t have said that.’_

Maul twisted again and jabbed with the other end of his weapon but Kenobi had already moved again. He felt a swish beside himself and suddenly he found himself face to face with the jedi, so close that their noses almost touched. His opponent's face was contorted into a snarl, teeth flashing through his auburn-grey beard. His eyes had the color of a violent thunderstorm now.

“Don't mistake my reluctance for a lack of caring”, the jedi gritted out. The next second Kenobi was gone once more and Maul had to yank his head back sharply in order to avoid losing his eye sight as one of the chained blades abruptly sailed past.

The Sith jumped back on reflex, gaining distance between himself and the jedi who casually pulled back the thrown blade with the Force.

That had been too close to comfort. How was that cripple moving so fast? Maul didn't have time to think about it as the Jedi caught up with him again.

Both men danced back in forth, their blades colliding almost melodically. Sometimes a stab or blow slipped through their defenses, but it never resulted in more than a few superficial cuts. They were evenly matched.

Crack. His staff and Kenobi's blades met directly between the two fighters, resulting in a pure test of strength. The crowd howled, spurring the fight before their eyes.

Yes - this was how it was supposed to be. The Sith began to grin and pushed the Jedi back. He was still physically stronger than Kenobi, an advantage he knew how to use.

"Why not be like that from the start, Kenobi?" quipped Maul in amusement, "Come on, show me what you're made of."

The Jedi tensed under the combined force and squeezed out another smile. "As you wish, _Darth_ ," he hummed melodically before suddenly stopping to counter the attack. Maul stumbled forward briefly from the resulting momentum, causing him to catch on to Kenobi's intent too late. The blade scraped across his staff unabated - right through the fingers of his left hand that clutched the weapon.

The Sith howled in pain and blindly hurled the Jedi back with the Force. He did not notice where Kenobi hit the ground. He was too focused on the rest of his bleeding hand and the fingers that had disappeared somewhere in the sand at his feet.

The bastard had indeed severed his fingers.

_‘At least he wasn't aiming for your head this time.’_

The staff fell to the ground with a light thud. For Maul, there was dead silence as his rage boiled up inside him - not a shout from the crowd, not the wind, not even his own breath reached his ears. The Sith zoned out, lost in his hatred and madness.

Clenching his metallic hand into a fist, Maul fixed his gaze on the Jedi, who had landed in the sand a few feet in front of him and still hadn't gotten back to his feet. He had caught him off guard.

With a guttural growl, Maul darted toward Kenobi, pulling his lightsaber from his belt.

The time for games was over.

His claws dug mercilessly into the sand as he lunged forward like a possessed man. Just before he reached Kenobi, he leapt into the air and let his foot fly towards his enemy - ready to crush him on the ground. The Jedi rolled aside at the last second, but Maul was prepared. Clutching the blood-red blade in his remaining hand, he aimed for Kenobi's head.

With a hiss, his blade was countered by a bright blue blade. The Sith bent down, pressing the seething blades closer to his victim's neck. Kenobi shook with exertion, and it was clear he would not last much longer.

"Any last words, Kenobi?" he drawled.

His hair clinging to his wet forehead, Kenobi let out a shaky breath.

"I like your new legs," he heaved, "they make you look taller."

The jedi pushed him back with the Force, giving him just enough room to try to scramble away. But Maul was right behind him. With a roar, he forcefully stomped on his ankle when the Jedi failed to pull his right leg up high enough. Kenobi cried out in pain and twisted onto his back.

"Stop running, you cripple!" the Sith yelled, sending his saber sailing down again.

For a moment, he thought he saw something like fear in Kenobi's eyes. He watched them grow wide, the white standing out. The iris was now clear blue, almost like the horizon.

The Jedi threw his hands in front of him in a pathetic attempt to protect himself. At least that's what Maul thought.

A wide grin on his face, he thrust the saber down.

A sharp gasp went through the audience. Maul was still staring down at Kenobi, but suddenly bloodstains covered the man’s contorted face. His lightsaber deactivated with a snap and fell to the ground. Suddenly, his knees gave way, and with dazed eyes he realized how Kenobi caught him. He was slowly guided to the ground and when his head finally began to touch the sand, he felt the pain in his chest for the first time.

With the last of his strength, he turned his head and spied what had been his undoing. One of the blades Kenobi had wielded earlier. The jagged tip protruded from his chest, having severed spine and lungs in its path. The Jedi had used the Force to pull the blade through him.

He tried to take another breath, but felt that he couldn’t. Blood began to pool in his mouth and Maul knew that would be the end of him. He would choke like a miserable dog. Panic surged through him as his body began to fight off its inevitable fate.

He strained his neck as warm hands began to settle around his head. Even though his vision had already faded out, he knew it had to be Kenobi.

“It’s alright, Maul. Don’t fight it.”

A feeling began to set inside him that he had not known since childhood.

Peace.

As he took his last shuttering breath, he didn’t feel alone anymore. His fears and terrors, his rage and hatred; they were gone now.

This was the freedom he had always longed for.

* * *

Obi-Wan’s hands stilled on Maul’s head. It was over. The tortured soul had moved on into the Force. In his last moments he had seen Maul’s fear and torment; it had only felt right to help him to leave this world.

He gently closed the Zabrak’s eyes and got to his feet a little unsteady, wincing as he put weight on his ankle. The fight had exhausted him deeply, but he knew he was far from being done here. The arena had stilled around him. As he let his gaze wander, he noticed the shock written on so many faces. Queen Miraj had risen from her seat and was propping herself up on the edge of the gallery. No one had expected him to defeat Maul.

He limped closer to her, lifting his head.

"Let me guess," he called up while spreading his arms, "You had a deal with Maul.”

The scowl on the woman’s face deepened. "What do you want, Jedi? Your kind is not welcome here."

"Funny, it's not the first time I've heard those words. Must be me", Obi-Wan laughed dryly.

The Jedi shifted his eyes from the queen to the guards who lined the exits of the arena. There were eight of them, faces hidden under helmets and armed with electro whips. He could almost feel their stares. One command from the queen and they would leap into action.

Still watching the guards, he addressed the queen again. "I think you know why I'm here… I want the padawan you voluntarily enslaved."

“And why should I give her to you? You’re alone versus how many? That Zabrak you might have slain - but even you will be outmatched against all of my men.”

Obi-Wan sighed. This conversation was tiring. And if he was honest - he didn't feel like negotiating with these slave traders either. Maybe it was time to use a method from Anakin's book. Head first through the wall. While not very elegant and increasingly questionable, even he couldn't deny that it was effective.

Tightening his grip on his lightsaber, he set off to jump. The guards in the arena began to move at the same moment as his feet left the ground. They were too slow, of course. Obi-Wan landed with a thud on the balcony - decapitating the two waiting guards, who were too surprised to put up a fight. The queen had backed away, terrified of the Jedi who now stood between the two dead guards.

Holding the blade in front of him, he strode forward, his face bathed in a cold light. With a wave of his hand, he locked the door to the room. That would keep the men a little busy - and buy him the time he needed.

“I’ll ask you one more time”, he hissed, “Where. Is. The. Girl?”

"You're making a mistake," she sputtered, still backing away from him.

"The only flaw I see here is that your head is still on your shoulders. And now move. Take me to her," he threatened, holding his saber under her chin, “and remember – one wrong move and your head will join the others.”

Miraj pressed her lips in a thin line but complied. Lightsaber tip on her neck, she stumbled forward, into a small hidden pathway behind her throne. To Obi-Wan’s surprise, they began to move up, onto the palace rooftop.

The queen let him towards a cage which was suspended above the city. His stomach twisted as he spotted a very familiar form crumbled on its floor.

“Unlock the cage and her chains”, he ordered, trying to keep his voice calm. He would like to wring her neck right now. 

‘Relax, Kenobi.’

He watched how the queen fumbled with an electronic device and both the door and the chains finally clicked open. Stretching his hand out, he pulled the thing from her hand. Next, he pried the chains off from the floor and swiftly chained the queen inside the cage.

“Hey! You can’t-“, she began to protest, but was quickly silenced as Obi-Wan held his lightsaber under her chin.

“You’re lucky I don’t kill you”, he drawled, before he finally deactivated his weapon and crouched down next to Ahsoka. The teenager was out like a light. Despite being hidden underneath a dirty rag, he could already see the massive swelling on her arm. It was definitely broken. He also spotted an untreated blaster wound on her calf, which made his anger rise up again. Stomping it down, he lifted the padawan into his arms as gently as possible. She didn’t even stir. Her head lolled lifelessly against his shoulder and he could feel the heat radiating of her skin. Not good.

Obi-Wan quickly left the cage and locked it with the device again. Then he crunched it underneath his boot, ignoring the queen’s shouts. Scanning his surroundings, he guessed the easiest way to escape was to jump over the rooftops. Not an easy task, considering he was carrying Ahsoka and Maul had definitely hurt his ankle prior in their fight.

He had no other option though. Focusing, he tightened his grip on the padawan and steadied his legs as much as possible before he launched himself from the roof. Obi-Wan was halfway through the city when they opened fire on them. Cursing, he shielded them with the Force and pressed on as fast as he dared.

He felt years older when he finally jumped the city walls and the ship moved into range. They had almost made it. His feet carried him up the ramp as if by remote control. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he noticed himself calling out to the droid to start the ship immediately. But his focus was on Ahsoka. He gently laid her down on one of the cots and began to gather the meager medical supplies Quinlan and him had managed to gather before.

Obi-Wan wrapped Ahsoka in his Force presence, not wanting her to feel the anguish that dominated the Force now. She needed all her strength now.

As he set down and began to treat her wounds, he locked his eyes on her ashen face.

“Come on, Little One. Don’t give in, I know you’re a fighter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I recently played God of War again and somehow the Blades of Chaos inspired me for the weapons Obi-Wan used in this fight ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Anyway, thanks for reading :)


	37. The Truth Hurts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter chapter today, but earlier than planned :)

**Chapter 37 – The Truth Hurts**

It felt like Ahsoka was trying to make things out in a thick fog. Everything was blurry - and somehow felt far away. She was vaguely aware that someone seemed to be examining her hand. Suddenly, she was on high alert as the memories came flooding back. Maul. The Zygerrians. How they had locked her in the cage, leering looks on their faces. Ahsoka had known immediately what they wanted.

Had one of the men now gained access to her cage? As fear and anger took over, Ahsoka blindly swung her fist in the direction she expected the creep to be. Her fist collided with something solid - and just a few moments later, a pained gasp was heard, eliciting a satisfied grin from Ahsoka. The hand retreated surprisingly carefully, as if the person didn't want to hurt her, but it didn't make any difference to the Padawan right now. She wouldn't let those slimeballs touch her. She was making another attempt to land another hit when suddenly a voice came through the haze in her head.

"Ahsoka, stop! It's me, you're safe!"

Her chest still rising and falling far too quickly, she let her arm stop, lifted in the air. She knew that voice. Slowly, her full consciousness returned and she realized who she had just successfully hit. Master Kenobi. The man had obviously been sitting next to her on the bed, trying to examine her broken hand, when Ahsoka had apparently placed her fist directly on his nose with a well-aimed swing. He was now standing next to her, eyes wide, one hand holding his nose, the other stretched slightly in front of him to calm her down.

She froze as she realized what had just happened.

"Master, I-" she started, but was quickly interrupted.

"It's okay, Ahsoka. You don't need to apologize. I should have expected such a reaction after what happened to you," he sighed, "I'm sorry, I thought it might be better to examine your arm while you were unconscious - save the pain."

Ahsoka was still staring wide-eyed at his face. He had really come for her. Maul's plan had failed. She was free.

As the silence began to stretch between them, she watched Obi-Wan's expression change, and he tilted his head a little.

"Are you-?" he began to ask, until suddenly an armful of Togruta flew toward him. Ahsoka didn't care about the code or what the Jedi taught about attachments. Force knew, they both needed it. She wrapped her arms around her Grandmaster's neck and buried her face in his chest. Everything just fell apart for her, and Ahsoka let it all go.

"When they said they were going to lure you in using me as a bait," she sobbed, "I thought that was the end. That I would never see either of you again."

An arm wrapped around her shoulders and a warm hand came to rest on her upper arm. The slight trembling of his fingers was still there.

"I should never have let him take you," he whispered, lowering his chin to her head, "I'm so sorry, Little One."

She lifted her head slightly from his chest, nudging his head away slightly to look him in the face. His second hand still rested against his nose, and she could see the steady flow of blood beginning to crust his beard. Ahsoka contorted her face in shame and let her gaze wander further up to his eyes. Typical of him, they were filled almost entirely with concern for her, but there was something else as well. A darkness? A touch of sickness? She quickly banished that thought. No, this was Master Kenobi they were talking about here. Steadfast and strong, but always gentle.

"Did I break your nose?" she wanted to know hesitantly.

Obi-Wan slowly withdrew from her embrace and carefully guided her back to the bed, where she settled on the edge. A small smile tugged on his lips.

"You've got quite the hook," he chuckled as he rubbed his nose, "Don't worry, it'll grow back together. You're not the first one to break my nose."

He briefly went into the adjoining bathroom and washed the blood off his face and hands before returning with a glass of water, which he placed in her hand.

"Here, you should drink something. You’re still running a fever, even though I gave you something for the infection."

Pulling a chair over, he sat down across from her. "How are you feeling?" She could already see his nose starting to swell, and he sounded a little nasal, like he had a cold.

Ahsoka took a careful sip of the water, only now realizing how she was really feeling. Her skin was clammy with sweat and her entire arm still ached badly. The wound from the nail had been cleaned and covered with bacta and bandages. It felt better than before, but she still felt the heat of the infection coming from her hand. And then there were the broken bones that sent a sharp sting through her body with every movement. The only thing she could barely feel was the blaster wound on her leg, which was apparently already healing nicely from the bacta.

"Not so good..." she admitted, "my hand hurts pretty bad."

Obi-Wan hummed in response. "That's what I thought. Do you want me to have a look again?”

Ahsoka stretched her arm out to him and he carefully took it in both hands. His fingers hovered lightly over her hand and she felt him focus on the Force. After a moment, he reached for her fingers and gave each one a quick squeeze. "Does this hurt?"

She shook her head, watching his movements closely.

"Good."

He then placed her hand back in his palm. Ahsoka winced as the movement hurt. "It looks like a couple of your metacarpals are broken, but I can't tell if they're displaced. And I don't dare fix something that delicate."

“You had to set bones before?”, she asked surprised.

Obi-Wan pursed his lips and nodded. "On Melida/Daan, we often didn't have proper medical care available. We were fortunate that a few of the older kids had learned a little about it during the war. Since I was one of the older ones too, I helped out with our field doctors more often than not.”

He began to wrap her hand methodically.

“I think we should wait until we arrive on Alderaan and a real medic can have a look at it. How did that happen, anyway?"

Ahsoka gripped the sheets with her free hand. "It was Maul. I was trying to get free of the chains with a nail and he caught me; the bastard Force-crushed the nail in my palm and my hand right along with it."

It kind of surprised her that he didn't reprimand her for her language, but just nodded with a distant look in his eyes.

Catching onto it, she dared to ask the question. “Did you kill him? Maul, I mean.”

Her grandmaster closed his eyes shortly and turned his head away. He was silent for a moment, before he finally answered. “Yes", he hesitated,”-he's dead.”

He had finally killed his nemesis. But why did it seem like he almost regretted it?

"Do you regret it? Killing Maul?"

Obi-Wan shifted on the chair and folded his hands on his knees. "There are many things I regret. Maul- " he hesitated as he searched for the right words, "Maul brought out the worst in me. After he killed Qui-Gon that time, there was this anger inside me that I couldn't control. I- I used it and cut Maul in half.... The Council debated after that whether I still had a place with the Jedi."

Ahsoka furrowed her brows. "Why? You defeated the first Sith in decades!"

"And have unjustly received my knighthood through it”, he huffed, “It wasn't that simple, Ahsoka. The masters sensed that I had acted out of anger. They suspected I had used the Dark Side of the Force."

"Did you?"

He shook his head. "No, not that day. Master Plo was the only one who had my back when they put me on probation for months instead. They were going to take Anakin away from me. Said I wasn't a good influence for him. That I've been only made a knight because there was no one to teach me. If I'm honest, I don't remember how the boy was finally allowed to stay with me."

"You never told us that."

"I didn't want to. For years, I tried to put it behind me - but when Maul showed up again on Coruscant... Something snapped inside me. Maul attacked Satine and me that night shortly after he overpowered you. He pulled out a blaster and somehow managed to get me to shoot Satine."

Obi-Wan swallowed hard. "I thought I killed her."

Ahsoka had the feeling that he was just telling her something that he would otherwise never openly admit. The Jedi Master was usually very secretive, careful to keep his feelings and thoughts to himself. Something had to have changed. She let him continue talking.

"I tried to save her, but Force healing had never been one of my gifts. I was... desperate. So, I used the Dark Side and fell."

He lifted his gaze and looked into her eyes. Sure enough, there was a tinge of yellow in his iris.

"That's what you sensed in me earlier. The Dark Side."

“But you turned back.”

“I did. But since then- I don’t feel like myself anymore. When I finally encountered Maul on Zygerria again and brought him down… I felt no regret. I would do it again. And after I was finished with him… I continued with the Zygerrians.”

He straightened himself on his seat. “I always tell myself that these people were evil, that it was the right thing to do. But what if at some point I can't tell the difference? When I hurt the people I care about. When I can't make myself regret things anymore."

"You would never hurt us," Ahsoka objected, "You don't feel cold, at least not to me. I would always trust you with my life. Dark side or not, I don't care. You didn't turn into a monster. And I think Satine and Anakin will feel the same way."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her grandmaster flinched involuntarily. She knew immediately that there had to be more he had yet to tell her.

“There's more”, she stated silently, eyeing him carefully.

"What do you feel inside the Force?" he murmured, still not looking at her again.

Ahsoka frowned, but focused on the Force. It was calm, but at the same time somehow restless. Like a hunted animal that was on the run. It took her a moment to realize it. What she felt was not really the Force, but only the presence of her grandmaster. He shielded her.

"Why are you shielding me?"

"Something happened during the time you were cut off from the Force, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan absently kneaded his fingers and somehow that made her all the more nervous.

"Master, you are scaring me. Please stop speaking in riddles."

"Do you remember our conversation about Chancellor Palpatine? How he felt in the Force?" His voice carried something heavy that Ahsoka didn't know if she really wanted to find out.

"Yes?"

"We were right. There was something wrong with him - The man was our wanted Sithlord."

Obi-Wan turned his head again and looked at her. His eyes were glazed over. "He branded the Jedi as traitors. And he uses the clones to do it.... They're all under the influence of control chips."

A single tear began to run down his cheek. "They burned down the temple..." his voice broke, "and slaughtered everyone, children and adults.... No one knows how many of us are still alive. But our numbers are dwindling every second. I didn't want you to have to find out through the Force, so I'm shielding you."

Ahsoka felt an icy chill run down her spine as his words began to sink in. Her friends. Her home. All gone.

"What about Anakin?", she croaked. She was really realizing the absence of her master only now. But Obi-Wan would never leave him behind - would he?

The Jedi Master visibly stilled and his eyes saddened so much, that it almost began to hurt Ahsoka physically.

“I’m so sorry… I- I lost him to Palpatine", he whispered, “That monster had a chip put in him. Anakin - now Vader - is no longer himself... he tore out our bond before the clones tried to execute me. I can't feel him any longer."

“No", she breathed, “no, no, No! It can't be!”

This could not be true. Her master would never do such a thing. He was stronger than that Sithlord. She couldn't believe it - and didn't want to.

"Ahsoka, I-."

"Please go."

Obi-Wan's mouth snapped shut with a clack, and he looked at her silently.

"Please, let me-."

Ahsoka shook her head violently again. "No, I need to be alone."

Her Grandmaster nodded curtly and rose from his chair. "Okay," he muttered, looking defeated, "if you need anything, you'll find me in the cockpit."

Hanging his head low, he limped toward the door, dragging his foot even worse than usual. He must have injured himself, but Ahsoka couldn't care about that now.

No, she needed time to think. And she could only do that alone, even if the rejection hurt him. Inwardly, she knew that her grandmaster was not to blame - yet she knew no other way to help herself.


	38. Alderaan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to thank you again for all the nice comments in the last chapters! You really motivate me to keep writing this story :)

**Chapter 38 – Alderaan**

The cockpit was almost uncomfortably quiet when Obi-Wan finally managed to drag himself to the pilot's chair. He dropped into it and slumped almost instantly as the last of his strength, that had kept him on his feet, faded.

Ahsoka blamed him for Anakin not being here. He could understand why she was upset. After all, Anakin was her master, not him. He was not the person she wanted - or needed.

Funny, somehow the feeling seemed familiar.

_'You are a disgrace to Qui-Gon’s teachings. I wish you wouldn't be here but him!'_

Anakin had screamed that in his face. Not for the first time, he thought about his former master. Qui-Gon would not have made so many mistakes - would not have failed miserably so often. Ahsoka would have her master right now, and probably wouldn't have met Maul in the first place, since the Sith would never have survived Naboo. Much could have been prevented, he was sure of that.

Carefully, he let his fingers slide along his nose and immediately drew in a sharp breath. It hurt, but he couldn't be mad at Ahsoka. Her reaction had been predictable and he should have been more careful. His nose would definitely be black and blue tomorrow, and he wasn't looking forward to having to explain to Satine or Padme how that had happened. Ahsoka would certainly agree with him, he had seen how unpleasant the whole thing had been for her, which was why he had said nothing more about it. After all, the proof was literally written all over his face.

It was still a few hours to Alderaan. He had hoped that Quinlan would send him an update in the meantime. But no - there was absolute radio silence. Waiting was the only thing he could do. So far, a few coordinates were the only thing he had. A place somewhere in the middle of nowhere on Alderaan. Hopefully they would be safe there for the time being. He would wish it on Ahsoka. The teenager needed some normalcy, if one could even speak of it now.

Obi-Wan was sure that by now the Empire had learned of his escape. They would definitely be looking for him, perhaps even Anakin himself. That would put everyone in danger. As long as Palpatine was in control, his friend was unpredictable. Would he hesitate to kill his wife or Padawan? His children? Did he even remember them? Anakin definitely remembered him, but in a twisted, sick way. The man definitely wouldn't think twice about murdering him. But their bond had still been there before it was torn. Did that mean Anakin could sense Ahsoka and his children? Could he relate to the connection? Or had the chip twisted and erased his entire memories?

Obi-Wan didn't know.

He tried to take a more comfortable position on the seat, but somehow it was an impossible task. He would have preferred to just lie down, but someone had to keep an eye on their route. Besides, the only free bed was in the small quarters in the back of the ship - where he had left Ahsoka. He would respect her wishes, which was why he had to make do with the pilot's seat for now. Obi-Wan scratched his head absently, pulling a few clumps of mud and sand from his hair. He hadn't really had a chance to wash properly, except for his arms and face. His skin itched where the dirt was already starting to stick uncomfortably. His previously black clothes were now rather brownish in color, and he could also see a few tears in the fabric where Maul had caught him in the fight. He wrinkled his nose, he really looked like a tramp - not that he could do much about it right now.

He carefully stretched his legs away from him and winced a little as he moved his ankle in the process. The boot on his foot had started to pinch some time ago and he knew that this could only mean that the joint was swollen. It was better not to take the boot off for now, he would look at the injury later.

Too lost in thought, he didn't notice the little droid until it gently nudged him with its gripper. Turning his head, he noticed that the astromech was holding a ration bar out to him.

_‘If I'm right, you haven't eaten since we started our trip’,_ it beeped softly.

Obi-Wan huffed but took the food from the droid. “Did Quinlan tell you to do that?”

_‘No, I was just calculating that a dead man doesn't really make a good pilot.’_

"Wise words, I'll try to remember them”, he muttered, taking a bite from the bar, "Can you get Ahsoka something to eat, too?”

_‘Why don't you go yourself?’_

"She wanted to be alone. But I think she'll make an exception for you."

_‘If it makes you feel better, fine.’_ The droid began to roll away, but Obi-Wan quickly stopped it.

“Wait", he called and grasped something from his pocket, “Here, give that to her as well. I forgot earlier."

The astromech eyed him briefly with its sensor, but finally took the two lightsabers from his hand.

"Thank you."

He watched as the droid rolled out of the cockpit and he was alone again. The ration bar was starting to feel heavy in his stomach, so he carefully wrapped the rest back in the paper. He didn't feel like eating right now. Over the years, he had to consume dozens of these things in their endless field campaigns. And somehow the bars managed to taste worse each time. His men had even started drowning the damn things in sauces out of desperation. Unfortunately, the attempt had little success and only resulted in many of the troopers ending up at Helix with aching stomachs.

Obi-Wan wondered what had happened to his unit. The Negotiator had been orbiting Coruscant when he left the planet. He had been lucky that the flagship had not spotted and pulverized him.

Hopefully there was a way to disable the chips. He didn't know if he would be able to kill his own men - not after all they had been through together. He owed the clones his life more than once. When Grievous had defeated him on the Invisible Hand.... That would definitely have been the end of him if Cody and his squad hadn't come looking for him. It had been strange at first. Being made a general. To be put in charge of his own unit. It went against all the ideals the Jedi stood for. He had never been trained in the arts of warfare, unlike his men. And yet he had been expected to lead them successfully through the battles. Among the soldiers, the opinion had long prevailed that they were not considered human beings - that they were replaceable. It had taken Obi-Wan months before his men finally trusted him and warmed up to him. When they finally understood that they were more than clones to him, they quickly grew together - accepting him as one of their own. Obi-Wan knew that the bond of Vode was sacred to them. He felt all the more honored that they had taken him in.

And now? Probably they would open fire as soon as he stepped under their eyes. He was nothing more than a traitor for them.

When he thought about it like this, he realized that there was really no point in racking his brains. Without new information about the chips, he couldn't do anything anyway. He'd better concentrate on things he could do something about. Get them safely to Alderaan. Keep an eye on Ahsoka. Find Satine, Padme - and Anakin's children. It was still insane that his friend was actually a father now. Somehow it was hard to imagine Anakin in that role - not that he didn't trust the young man to do it. It was just surreal that the boy who wanted to travel the galaxy wanted to retire. Obi-Wan smiled softly; times had changed. He only hoped Anakin would still get the chance to enjoy his family life. That Ahsoka could finish her training with Anakin by her side - if that was still her wish. After all, the future of the Jedi was uncertain.

But one thing he was sure off; he wouldn't give up without a fight.

Obi-Wan spent the next few hours in silence, trying to sort out his thoughts, until at some point his eyes fell shut.

* * *

After the little astromech had surprisingly handed her her lightsabers along with a ration bar, Ahsoka hadn't known what to do at first. She had briefly thought about going to her grandmaster in the cockpit, just to see if he was okay. In the end, however, she had decided against it when her body demanded the rest it needed. She had choked down the ration bar, grateful that there was anything to eat at all, even if it literally turned her stomach. Afterwards she had taken a short shower, scrubbing the dirt of Zygerria from her skin. Her thoughts were still rattling through her head when she finally settled back into bed, wrapped in a blanket.

Space was still freezing cold. She knew that the room was probably relatively warm, but the fever still made her feel chilly. Ahsoka would prefer to forget what had happened, but this new reality was literally screaming in her face. Hunted like criminals. It was hard to believe that the Chancellor had managed to turn the people against the Jedi so quickly. For years they had tried to protect the civilians and many of the Jedi had lost their lives on the battlefields. But those sacrifices were forgotten. What remained was the brand as traitors. And they had her master. Was she angry at Master Kenobi for not trying harder? For leaving Anakin behind? Maybe she shouldn't judge him, she hadn't been in his situation. Anakin had torn the bond apart. Ahsoka didn't want to imagine how her grandmaster had felt. It was always taught that a bond that linked Jedi was sacred. If it was brutally severed - by death or pure intent - the sudden loss could cause severe psychological and even physical damage. Master Kenobi had said nothing about it, but she had seen the pain in his eyes.

It was not the first bond he had lost like this. Did one get used to it at some point? Or did a new loss rip open all the old wounds again?

Ahsoka pulled the blanket tighter around herself and tried to sleep a little. Maybe that would make her feel better. She even managed to rest for a few hours. But she was jolted out of sleep when the Force suddenly changed. The feeling was muted, but she still felt it clearly. The Force was screaming in agony, was loud, restless. Searching for her children. It took Ahsoka a moment to understand what was going on. Master Kenobi's shields must have dropped a little, and immediately the whirlwind that occupied the Force was palpable. The Padawan reinforced her own shields and slowly sat up on the bed. Was this what her grandmaster had been feeling all along? And she had only caught a faint glimpse. Ahsoka slipped on her boots and quietly left the room.

When she entered the cockpit, the first thing she saw was the droid monitoring the engines.

"Hey," she whispered, and the astromech beeped softly in acknowledgement. On light feet, she stepped forward to the pilot chairs. There he was. Master Kenobi was asleep; arms folded, his head dropped on his chest. Sand and dirt still encrusted much of his clothing and body. He was snoring a little, but that was not surprising when she observed the distinct discoloration and swelling of his nose and the areas around it. It had obviously bled a little again, as she could guess from the blood in his beard. Ahsoka bit her lips. She didn't know how she was going to make this up to him.

Should she wake him up?

A glance at the navi computer told her that it was just under an hour to Alderaan. She had slept through almost the entire flight. Placing her unbandaged hand lightly on his shoulder, Ahsoka tried to wake the jedi.

"Master...?"

With a grumble, he began to stir. His eyes still closed, Ahsoka watched as one of his hands reached up to run over his face. Before she could think twice about it, she grabbed his wrist.

"I don't think you want to do that."

The reaction was almost instantaneous. His eyes shot open and his head snapped in her direction. Apparently, it took him a moment to recognize her.

"Ahsoka."

Slowly, she let go of his wrist again and squeezed out a small smile.

"Yeah, sorry. I thought it would be better to keep you from touching your nose. It was bleeding again, by the way."

She made a hand gesture, pointing under her own nose. He frowned, apparently still half asleep, until he eventually understood what she was trying to show him. With a quick movement, he wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. At least he tried. Most of it had dried up by now.

“Wait, I'll get you something.” She disappeared quickly and grabbed a small towel, which she wet and pressed into his hand when she returned.

"Uh, thanks. I think," he mumbled, his voice a little rough. He used the towel to wipe the blood from his face. The Jedi was relatively silent again, and Ahsoka wondered if that was her fault.

Now that he was awake, she noticed how the feeling in the Force disappeared again as he became aware that his shields had weakened.

"Did the Force wake you?" he asked, a tired expression on his face.

Ahsoka nodded slightly and sat down across from him in the co-pilot seat, cradling her broken hand against her chest. "Yes," she breathed, "though I have only been able to feel a fraction."

Obi-Wan hummed and averted his gaze. "If I hadn't fallen asleep, this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."

"No," Ahsoka shook her head vehemently, "you need your rest, too. I can only imagine how exhausting it must be to hide two people in the Force." Judging by the dark circles around his eyes, it was straining him more than he would ever admit. Besides, she knew he'd been suffering from constant headaches since the incident with Dooku and was in danger of getting another brain hemorrhage if he wasn't careful. Master Che had specifically told Anakin and her that.

"I'm afraid I can soon add two more people to that list," her grandmaster muttered, hand resting against his forehead.

"What do you mean?" she asked, irritated.

She watched him raise his eyebrows in surprise until it dawned on him.

"Oh, you don't know yet."

"Don't know what yet?"

He sighed and propped himself up on his legs. "Padme had twins just before this whole thing."

"Oh Force."

She received a shallow nod in response. "A friend told me he sent them on their way to Alderaan. Hopefully we'll meet them there."

Ahsoka looked at the navi computer again. Half an hour was left. “How do we get past the planet's security? The Empire has a bounty on your head – and probably on mine as well.”

“Padme and Satine hopefully got past them together with the other fugitives. For us it is not that easy, I'm afraid. I would like to avoid making acquaintance with security. Since we're not heading for the capital, I was hoping we might be able to slip through their barricades."

"That's a big risk. Does this ship happen to have a cloaking device?"

"We can disappear from radar. But become invisible? No, I'm afraid not."

Ahsoka chewed on her cheek as she thought about it. "What if we try to attach ourselves to a large ship? If we're lucky, we'll find one of the supply ships whose surface we could hitch to undetected. They'll get us through the blockade, and once we're through, we'll undock."

Obi-Wan snorted. "That's so insane it could almost work. But our ship is far too large to be overlooked on a simple freighter. We need something bigger."

As they approached the planet, Ahsoka's eyes grew wide. She turned to her grandmaster who was looking through the glass just as aghast.

"Is a Separatist cruiser big enough?"

Eyes still locked on the flagship; he shook his head. "We can't do that, Ahsoka. It's far too dangerous."

"Do you have a better idea, Master?"

He screwed up his face in thought. "You take after your master far too much, young one."

She quirked a smile. "He must have learned it from someone, though."

"Mhm, blame it on your grandmaster," he replied dryly, yet she could still see the small smile that almost disappeared into his beard.

"Buckle up," he said then, taking the control sticks in his hands, "and let's hope those tinheads over there aren't paying attention."

After activating their cloaking device, he steered their ship toward the flagship from the underside.

"What are they doing here, Master?" asked Ahsoka.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this."

"Are they trying to occupy Alderaan?"

"No, I don't think so. I think they want to pressure the government into joining the Empire. But Senator Organa will not surrender to those threats."

"I hope you are right."

Ahsoka watched with bated breath as they flew past cannons and hangers. So far, no response. Her grandmaster was also visibly tense as he finally placed their vehicle on the underside of the ship.

He exhaled heavily and quickly deactivated most of the equipment. "That would be part one."

The rattle of the flagship above them boomed so loudly in the cockpit that Ahsoka felt like she was going deaf. But she didn't care. With a spellbound gaze, she stared ahead, where she could already make out the scanners.

"It will be any moment now."

"Get ready." Obi-Wan gripped the wheel again, his hand hovering over the button that would once again activate the turbines. The scanners were now in close proximity. But they were still moving forward, and soon they had passed through them.

"We're through," she called over the noise of the cockpit.

"Don't rejoice too soon. We can't detach directly."

Slowly, the ship brought them closer to the planet. It felt like an eternity until he finally uncoupled their ship and they shot towards the surface.

"I think I just aged ten years," Obi-Wan huffed as he steered them toward a forest.

"You can say that again," chuckled Ahsoka, who let her gaze wander over the Alderaan's landscape. She had never been here before, but she liked what she saw. The planet was green, full of water and plants. Simply beautiful. With a light bump, they touched down on the earthy ground of a clearing. With a hiss, the engines deactivated and for the first time Ahsoka could hear the chirping of the birds that populated the forest.

"Come on, let's go," Obi-Wan snapped her out of her trance.

Packed with new energy, Ahsoka jumped out of her seat and moved with quick steps to the loading ramp to lower it. As soon as it was open, Ahsoka strode down, overwhelmed by the idyll that surrounded her.

"Wow," she gaped in awe.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" As she turned, Ahsoka noticed that the droid had already rolled beside her and Obi-Wan was still standing at the top of the ramp, smiling slightly, bracing himself against the wall.

"It is," she confirmed, "Do you need help?" She remembered that he could barely walk last time.

"If you don't mind," he said.

"Never," she chirped and walked up the ramp again to put his arm around her shoulders. Slowly but steadily, they made it down, nearly slipping more than once. Once at the bottom, her grandmaster tried to pull his arm away again, but Ahsoka held on to it.

"Come on, you really shouldn't be walking on that foot any more than you have to."

He sighed, but finally relented, exhaustion not entirely unconcerned in the process. "Fine," he pressed a small device into her hand, "Lead the way."

The device showed their current coordinates and those of their destination, in flashing red numbers. It was no longer far.

"Okay." Ahsoka tightened her grip on his arm and they slowly started moving, the droid close behind them. The forest thickened around them once more, and she almost thought they were lost until a small hut came into view.

"Is that it?" she asked.

Obi-Wan was about to answer until the cry of a baby interrupted him. He smiled and gently nudged her forward.

"I think you just got your answer.”

They quickly covered the last few meters and, in a few moments, they were at the door. Ahsoka knocked gently, her heart almost leaping out of her chest. Obi-Wan pulled his arm back and this time she let him. A rustling could be heard from inside, and muffled voices, until light footsteps finally approached the front door.

The door opened with a slight squeak and the head of a well-known brunette poked out of the opening.

Ahsoka smiled broadly. "Padme!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A small reunion :) Let's see how our group manages on Alderaan.  
> Let me hear your thoughts :D


	39. A Sense of Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No action in this chapter, but a lot of talking :D Enjoy!

**Chapter 39 – A Sense of Home**

“Padme!”

When Ahsoka's voice broke through the tension in the room, Satine quickly put aside the blaster she had previously clutched with both hands. She was a pacifist, but she would not hesitate to protect the children. With quick steps she approached Padme from behind and also released the weapon from her fingers, which the woman had kept hidden behind the door. She watched with a smile as thin, orange arms wrapped around Padme's torso.

"Ahsoka! How did you get here?" her friend asked, still a little taken off guard.

The teenager slowly pulled away, a smirk on her face. "How does 'we smuggled ourselves through the planet security as stowaways on a Separatist flagship' sound to you?" As she said this, she turned back a little, and Satine noticed for the first time that the Padawan was not alone.

She took the door from Padme's hand and pulled it fully open. There he was, standing back a bit and watching the scene unfold. Obi-Wan looked tired, exhausted and extremely dirty, but that didn't bother her.

"Obi-Wan."

In a few steps, she was at his side and wrapped him in her arms. He lost his balance momentarily and Satine had to keep him on his feet, but soon his arms were wrapped around her as well, his hand on the back of her neck.

"I'm so sorry”, he whispered while his trembling hand ran through her hair. Of course, she knew immediately what he was talking about. That Zabrak. Coruscant. How he'd been forced to shoot at her. And if all that wasn't enough, he was convicted of murder and lost almost everything he knew in such a short time. Satine froze as the memory came back up, but she only tightened her grip around his body. She wouldn't let him go again.

"Let's just forget about it, okay? You're both alive and here, that's all that matters."

"If you say so," his voice sounded unnaturally rough, making her look up into his face. His eyes did not meet hers. His gaze was lost, wearing an empty look. A massive swelling deformed his discolored nose. Satine winced in sympathy and gently put a hand to his temple, pulling his head down toward her. Hovering her thumb over the injury, she caught his eyes.

"Obi, what happened here?"

"Broke my nose."

Satine rolled her eyes and shot him a look. "Even a blind man can see that, but the question is how."

His blue eyes flicked to the side for maybe a few milliseconds, but it was enough that she knew his answer would be a lie.

"Maul hit me."

Something told her that he must have his reasons. Obi-Wan was not a liar, at least not to her. For now, she let it rest, but later she would ask him again when they had a moment's peace. Satine simply nodded and broke away from the embrace.

"Come on, let's go inside."

Ahsoka and Padme had already stepped into the main room of the cabin, so she gently pulled Obi-Wan with her. No sooner had he taken a step forward when she noticed that he was dragging his right leg almost completely behind him. Ignoring his almost worryingly weak protest, she supported him under the arms.

"Is it your knee again?" she asked anxiously, eyeing the splint on his leg as they limped forward.

"No," he gritted out between clenched teeth, "hurt my ankle. Haven't looked at it yet."

"Of course you didn't," Satine grumbled, leading them both over to a small table where Padme and Ahsoka were already sitting, and settling him down on a chair. After stepping back briefly to close the door, she noticed that Padme had now also stepped over to greet Obi-Wan. Although he was seated, the two managed a brief hug. Satine watched as Obi-Wan's features hardened, as if he were preparing for something.

"Where is Anakin?" she heard Padme ask in a hushed voice.

Across the table, Ahsoka ducked her head slightly, biting her lips before turning her head away from them. Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped in defeat, but he withstood Padme's probing gaze with haunted eyes.

"I'm sorry, Padme. I didn't make it”, he began, his voice calm but accompanied by a slight tremor, "The Sithlord - Palpatine - has him under his control."

Padme's posture went rigid and her fists clenched at her side. "And you allowed this to happen...?"

Gritting his teeth, Obi-Wan's gaze now darkened a bit as well. It felt like the temperature in the room dropped by a few degrees. "I did what I could," he bit out.

"Well, apparently that wasn't enough!", Padme suddenly blurted out, before the woman realized what she was doing.

"Padme!" roared Satine, intervening as she saw what was happening. This was going too far. "That's enough," she said in a slightly calmer voice, "we should talk about this calmly tomorrow. I think we're all tired.”

Still a little shocked by her own harsh words, the senator took a step back. "I- I'm sorry, Obi-Wan. I didn't mean it."

The man in question looked absently at the floor planks and shook his head. "You just said what you were thinking. I get it."

Satine knew he didn't believe her.

His voice was bitter, as if he had had this conversation before. Satine's gaze wandered over to Ahsoka, who had completely stayed out of it, tugging at the bandage around her hand. Of course. Anakin was her master. She must have been similarly agitated as Padme was now. As the pieces of the puzzle slowly came together in her mind, she locked her eyes again at Obi-Wan, who still looked as if he was about to be sick.

"Maybe I should go check on Luke and Leia," Padme said then, her gaze briefly darting apologetically over to Satine. Before she could leave the room though, Ahsoka's voice piped up from the table.

"Can I see them? Only if you want to, of course.”

“Yes, of course", Padme ushered the girl out of the room, which led to Satine and Obi-Wan having a moment alone. With a sigh, Satine settled down next to him at the table.

"Sorry, about that. She’s been… on edge these past days. Are you okay?"

Obi-Wan grumbled something unintelligible into his beard, but nodded slightly.

She stroked a hand through his tangled hair and dislodged a bit of dirt. "Maybe you should take a shower."

"And here I thought mudhorns were mighty creatures," he muttered with a tired smile.

Satine laughed at his silly joke. At least that hadn't changed. "Even though your nose is pretty swollen right now, it takes a little more to pass for a horn. We can argue about the amount of mud though. Come on, the refresher is over there.”

Rolling his eyes, he started to dislodge the boots from his feet. He got rid of his left one easy enough before he paused at the right one. "I think I could use a hand here."

"Sure," Satine slid over so she was sitting across from him and carefully took his foot in her hand. He hissed from the movement and she immediately paused. "That bad, huh?"

"How would you feel if you ran halfway across town with that, an unconscious teenager in your arms?" She jerked her head up from his foot to his face, but he wasn't looking at her.

"Where did you find Ahsoka, Obi?" she asked slowly, tilting her head to somehow look him in the eye.

The Jedi chewed his cheeks and thought about what to say. "Zygerria," he began, a little haltingly, "Maul- He sold Ahsoka to the queen as a slave.... And after that, he waited for me in the arena."

Satine listened to him silently while her fingers worked to open the boot.

"I killed him, Satine."

This time he turned his head toward her, his eyes so dark that the usually brilliant blue was barely visible. "And I can't regret it."

What path was he falling down? And who was there to catch him or pull him back up? Although it went against her ideals, she couldn't stab him in the back here. Not now. Satine swallowed sickly.

"You don't have to justify yourself to me. Maul was..." she considered how to put it, "an unpredictable danger."

What if Obi-Wan himself became a danger? He was dancing on the edge of insanity. And he was definitely slipping more and more. His unnatural silence worried Satine. The whole thing was eating him up from the inside. It frightened her.

He seemed to notice her change in demeanor and his eyes softened a bit. Satine turned her gaze back to his foot, but his hand gently touched under her chin and lifted her head again.

"You are afraid of me," he stated, the light inside his eyes returning.

She did not move and returned his gaze. "No, Obi," she reasoned steadily, "it's not you I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of what you might become."

His hand slowly withdrew, appearing not at all convinced by her statement. Satine could no longer look him in the eye. She did not know what to think. But she was sure of one thing. It wouldn't take much more before Obi-Wan would collapse under the weight on his shoulders. A burden she could not take from him. The man was strong, no one would doubt that. But he was not invincible.

She finally managed to get the boot open far enough that she could carefully pull his foot out. Obi-Wan grunted in pain and screwed up his face. When the boot was finally off, Satine could already see the massive swelling that took up almost the entire foot, even though it was still covered by a sock. Without waiting for his permission, she rolled up the pant leg and carefully pulled down the sock. She was greeted by a color palette of bruises. "You're not telling me you really ran with this."

Obi-Wan just hummed and shrugged. Satine sighed in response to his reaction and carefully eased his foot back to the ground.

"We should see about finding a doctor tomorrow."

"Ahsoka needs one, not me.”

Satine raised an eyebrow and looked at him in surprise. "Ahsoka? Why? What's wrong with her?"

"A couple of the bones in her hand are broken, and I couldn't tell if they were displaced. She also has a fever from an infected wound.”

"Did that happen on Zygerria, too?"

He pursed his lips and nodded, looking ashamed. "For the most part, yes. If I had been there sooner, I might have been able to prevent some of it."

"Obi-Wan, you barely escaped with your life yourself," she vehemently contradicted him, "And yet you saved her life. Remember that."

He pressed his mouth into a thin line and nodded curtly. "Mhmm, yeah... how could I forget. If Quinlan had been a few seconds later, I'd be dead. Probably dumped in some junkyard on Coruscant."

She felt sick at the thought. Something gave her the feeling that he hadn't told her everything yet.

Later. They would talk about it later.

Satine held out her hand to pull him to his feet. "Come on, maybe you'll feel a little better once you're clean."

He let out a breath, but grabbed her hand and let himself up a little awkwardly. She literally pulled him over to the refresher and stopped in front of the door.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

Obi-Wan nodded again. "I'll be fine."

"Okay, just wait a minute. I'll get you a change of clothes. Whoever owned this cabin before left some stuff here. They might fit you."

Satine disappeared briefly into the adjoining bedroom where she had slept for the last few days and searched the small closet for the clothes. There. A white linen shirt and a pair of plain trousers. They had to do. She returned to Obi-Wan, who was leaning against the wall, and pressed the items into his arms. "Here. When you're done, I want to look at your nose and foot."

"You almost sound like Master Che," he muttered, a little amused.

"She's a wise woman."

"I guess so," he agreed with her, his gaze again a little lost, "I just hope she made it out."

“Don't worry", she said, nudging him shallowly in the direction of the refresher, "From what I've seen of Master Che, she must have managed to get out. She's a force to be reckoned with."

Satine watched as the door slipped shut behind him and used the moment alone to compose herself. Obi-Wan was traumatized. He kept giving away bits and pieces of what had happened, but Satine knew that would do little to help him cope. And she definitely couldn't force him to talk. That would only make it worse. They all needed time. And peace. And that was still a long way off.

Lost in thought, she went into the kitchen and looked for the small medkit that was stowed somewhere under the sink. It wasn't much but it would have to do for now. Satine made a mental note to look for a bigger and better equipped one. She carried the kit into the bedroom and looked at what she had available. A few bacta patches, bandages, painkillers and a tube of bacta gel.

"It's not much," she muttered to herself, "but it's better than nothing."

A few minutes later, Obi-Wan limped into the room, definitely cleaner looking, but no less exhausted. The pants fit him well; only the sleeves of the shirt were a bit too long, but he had rolled them up to his elbows anyway. She nodded her chin at a spot next to her on the bed. "Sit down."

With bare feet, he slowly made his way over to her and settled down carefully, mindful not to put too much weight on his foot. Meanwhile, she rummaged through the kit until she found a patch that fit his nose and set it aside for a moment. Satine put a hand to his chin and bent his head so that he had to look at her. Examining his nose again, she decided to ask him after all.

"Why did you lie about who broke your nose?"

His eyes widened in surprise, but then he just huffed. "I underestimated you again, I see. What gave me away?"

Satine laughed lightly. "First, you looked away for a moment, and second, I think if the Zabrak had really hit you, your nose wouldn't be straight now."

"Sharp combination," he snorted, "But yes, you're right. Maul didn't do it."

"So? Are you going to tell me the truth now?"

Obi-Wan closed his eyes briefly and took her hand from his face. "Can you keep a secret?"

A little confused by his question, Satine of course agreed. "Sure. You know that."

"Okay," he let out a long breath, "it was Ahsoka."

"Ahsoka? Now you have some explaining to do."

She was seriously confused. It didn't make sense that Ahsoka would hit her grandmaster. Something had happened between the two of them. Did the teenager snap when Obi-Wan told her about Anakin?

"Ahsoka was unconscious when I took her from Zygerria.... I had to do something about her fever, so I tried to examine the infected wound on her hand”, he paused briefly, "She woke up while I was doing it and mistook me for one of the slavers. Then she struck."

"And you lied to keep the situation from making Ahsoka more uncomfortable”, Satine concluded.

"Yes," he breathed, giving her a sideways glance, "Ahsoka's upset enough as it is, she doesn't need to worry about this too. I'd say we just forget about it - makes it easier. For both of us."

Satine nodded in understanding. "I see what you're getting at. I won't tell anyone else."

His shoulders slumped in relief. "Thank you - and I'm sorry I lied."

"I understand why you did it. Come on, show me your nose."

He turned a little on the bed so that he was now looking directly at her. "Let's get this over with."

With steady fingers, she removed the foil from the Bacta patch and carefully placed it over his nose. "Be glad I don't have to set the bone. You know I couldn't do that."

"Don't remind me," he chuckled lightly, rolling his eyes, "I'll never forget how you almost fainted when Qui-Gon had to set my shoulder after I fell."

She hummed as the memory played out in her mind's eye. "Somehow I managed to forget about that. But then, I'm not a doctor, I don't need to be able to see that."

He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing more about it. Satisfied with her work, Satine now let go of his nose and turned to his foot.

"That looks more like Maul's handiwork to me. Am I right?" she asked as she applied the bacta Gel to the joint.

Obi-Wan drew in a sharp breath as she touched a particularly painful spot, and she formed a wordless 'Sorry' with her mouth.

"He stepped on it," he grumbled, watching as she worked.

"That's the second time something like that has happened to you," she huffed, "Maybe you'd better stay away from creatures with metal feet."

The look he gave her in response almost made her laugh out loud. She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "That was a joke."

Obi-Wan slowly shook his head in exasperation. "And I always thought only Anakin made jokes that bad," he dead-panned.

Satine cracked a smile and wrapped a bandage around his foot. "It'll have to last until tomorrow," she said after she was done, "I heard there was a doctor at the refugee camp nearby."

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to be out in the open. After all, my face has been all over the media," Obi-Wan voiced his concerns.

"You and Ahsoka both need a medic”, she emphasized, “Don't worry, most of them there have fled the Empire. They won't betray a Jedi."

"That doesn't mean they'll be friendly to us."

This time she gave him a sharp look. "We have no other choice. If you're not going to do it for yourself, at least do it for Ahsoka."

He raised his hands in surrender. "I only said what I thought. I'm just tired of finding myself on the wrong end of the gun over and over again.”

He literally expects them to want to kill him, Satine thought bitterly. She didn't want to know what it felt like to face death. To have already finished with life. Only to be torn back again at the last second. He was alive, but the fear would accompany him forever.

She placed her hands at his temples and slowly traced his scar with her thumb. "We walk this path together, side by side."

He pulled his head slowly from her touch. His expression was tight, and his eyes once again took on that emptiness.

"What is it?" she asked anxiously. Obi-Wan held himself stiff, his fingers grabbing onto the blanket beneath him. His breath got caught in his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut.

“The bond connecting us,

To grow and learn,

The Force our eternal companion,

To guide us, to make us see…

We walk this path together,

As master and padawan…”

The jedi swallowed thickly before speaking again. “That was the vow Anakin and me have made when I took him in", he murmured, “And now it's all gone. The Force. Anakin. Even our bond.”

Obi-Wan reached up to rub his nose before remembering its condition and continued to scratch his temple instead.

“He just ripped it out”, he blurted out, accompanied by an empty laugh, “He thought I had made him a slave. That Palpatine now freed him from me.”

“You know this is not true", she said softly, reaching out to him but he stopped her to do so by holding up his hand. Satine remembered what he had been like after Qui-Gon had died. After their bond had snapped. Anakin had been the only thing to keep him from giving up. He had never really come to terms with his death, had repressed his grief. And now to lose another bond - in a different way, but no less cruel - it had taken away his joy of life. She saw that clearly now. He was only functioning.

“I know that it is not true", he met her eyes solemnly, “but what if Anakin doesn't remember that? Palpatine controls him with a chip – like the clones. No one knows what those things do – or how to get rid of them.”

Satine didn't know what to say. She just heard about the chips for the first time. It was unbelievable. The chancellor was a monster. A slave driver. Only that his own slaves did not know it. They blindly followed his orders. Violence, weapons and war. These were the things that Satine detested. She had conspired for pacifism. But Palpatine - he managed to make her wish she could strangle him with her bare hands. For what he had done to the Jedi. To Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka. To the he clones. To the entire galaxy.

In front of her, Obi-Wan sighed and put his hands on his knees. "I don't want to think about that any further right now. I am tired. Let's call it a night, okay?"

"Sure." Satine was equally exhausted. "I'll be right back," she said, kissed him briefly on the cheek, which earned her a shallow smile from him, and disappeared into the refresher. When she returned, Obi-Wan had already lain down and closed his eyes, his shirt thrown on a chair in the corner, his lightsaber within reach on the nightstand.

Settling quietly on her side of the bed, she let her gaze linger on him. He was lying with his back to her and all the scars on his back were visible to her. Some older and already faded, others newer and definitely running deeper. There was also the relatively small scar on his shoulder where the Death Watch man had shot him. She hadn't thought about Mandalore in a long time. Would Death Watch take over the leaderless planet now? Destroy everything she had tried to build up over the years?

She wrapped her arms around her body and tried to push the thought away. She was not to succeed.

Obviously, Obi-Wan had sensed that she was still brooding, because he turned and studied her with a clear gaze. “You're worried about Mandalore."

"Death Watch could make its move now… I don't know how many men Vizsla has. If they form an alliance with the chancellor, they could claim Mandalore and destroy the planet's neutrality."

He reached out to brush a strand of her blond hair from her forehead. “Come here”, he whispered then and held his arm up so that she could lean with her back against his chest. Satine rolled over and he let his arm drop on her shoulder.

"Palpatine can't fight on all fronts at once. The man is a politician, if he's smart, he won't rush his power expansion. First, he has to get Coruscant under control, and that won't be easy. You will get Mandalore back, Satine.”

“Thanks, Obi.”

His steady heartbeat helped her to ease her mind. Satine hoped that he was right. Mandalore cannot fall. She had fought too hard to lose her reign like that.

Absently she grabbed his hand that rested on her shoulder and intertwined their fingers.

They would fight this battle together.

* * *

_...Two blades clashed against each other..._

_...The heat burned his skin, the fire licked at his robes..._

_...Blue eyes turned yellow..._

_Full of hate and rage..._

_...a sword stroke...a scream_

_...Charred stumps tried to cling to the ashes...._

_... "I hate you!"..._

_"...You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!"_

Heart thumping in his chest and skin covered in sweat, Obi-Wan ripped his eyes open.

Anakin. They had fought each other viciously. Each of them going for the killing blow. He could still feel the blistering heat on his skin.

Careful not to disturb Satine, he untangled their hands and withdrew from their position. Luckily, she didn't stir. Trying to steady his breathing again, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and ran a trembling hand through his hair. Had this been a vision or a nightmare? He desperately needed fresh air. As quietly as possible, he stood up and pulled on his shirt before looking back at Satine. She was still fast asleep. Good. She needed her rest too, she shouldn't always worry about him.

A little unsteady on his feet, Obi-Wan limped out of the room and stepped into the main room. The cabin was dead silent. Through an open crack in the door, he could see Ahsoka sleeping in the small guest room. The teenager looked relaxed for the first time. A small smile stretched across Obi-Wan's lips and he continued on his way to the back door by the kitchen, which led to a small porch. Quietly, he pulled the door open and then closed it again behind him. With a few steps he was at the small wooden staircase and settled down with a sigh. The dream was still very vivid in his memory. The cold night air helped him calm down a little, but it was not enough. He leaned his head against the wooden pillar next to him and squeezed his eyes shut.

As panic started to creep up inside him, he tried to focus on the sounds around him. Like Qui-Gon had taught him. The rustling of the leaves in the wind. The creaking of the wooden planks. The animals in the forest.

The Force was not with him, so he had to concentrate on the here and now in order not to break.

Obi-Wan sat like that for a few minutes until a baby's cry broke the silence, followed by light footsteps.

The sound quickly stopped and he found himself watching the forest again. His focus was interrupted again when he noticed the door open behind him and Padme step out, carrying a small bundle in her arms.

"Oh," she said, "I didn't realize you were still awake."

Obi-Wan turned his head back to look at her. "I couldn't sleep."

"I see." She shuffled slowly closer and sat down beside him on the stairs. "Look, I wanted to apologize again about earlier. That wasn't right of me. I think the anxiety got to me."

He averted his eyes and looked up at the nearly starless sky. "Don't worry about me, Padme. I understand. Anakin is your husband and the father of your children, you need him."

"Still, it's no reason to snap at you like that.... Ahsoka told me what happened. That you saved her life."

"I put her in that situation in the first place."

"No one could have known that Maul survived. After the fall into the reactor shaft, he should have been dead."

Obi-Wan huffed. "I know. I still can't understand it to this day."

Padme carefully moved the bundle in her arms as it squirmed again. "You haven't even met the children yet," she said softly, "This is Luke."

He turned a little toward her and looked at the little boy in her arms. "Hello Luke."

"Would you like to hold him?"

Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment, but then held his arms open. She gently placed the baby in his grasp. The boy looked up at him with wide blue eyes, and a tiny hand wormed its way out of the blanket to reach for his beard. With a smile, Obi-Wan let Luke clutch his finger instead. "He looks like his father," he noted a little sadly.

“I know”, was all Padme said, observing the pair with a smile.

Another scream sounded from the house and the senator stood up with a sigh. "The two of them somehow always wake up at the same time. Do you mind checking on Luke while I take care of Leia?"

Obi-Wan looked up at her and shook his head. " I don't mind. Go on."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan."

Padme returned to the house again, and the Jedi was alone with Luke. The boy was about to fall asleep, his head nestled in the crook of his arm. The moonlight reflected in the big round eyes. The baby was still so innocent. Did not know war. No violence. No injustice.

Pulling the bundle closer to his chest, Obi-Wan looked down at Anakin's son.

"I'll bring your father home. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see if Obi-Wan will keep his promise. Or if the dream will become reality...   
> Thanks for reading and the comments. I also love to be inspired, so if you have any ideas, let me know! :D


	40. Malfunction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick glance at Coruscant.

**Chapter 40 - Malfunction**

"We'll be waiting for you here, sir."

His hand already resting on the door to his master's office, Vader paused briefly. He turned a little and let his cold gaze wander over the soldier, the head of the 501st, which had helped him to clean the temple. The trooper immediately straightened and tensed as his eyes pierced through the blue and white armor. Even though the helmet didn't let him see the clone's face, he knew that those brown eyes were wide open now, darting nervously from left to right. The man was afraid of him, Vader could almost smell it. How pathetic. CT-7567. There was something strange about this clone. The man had hesitated when they had killed the traitors in the temple. There had only been a pause of a few seconds before he finally pulled the trigger, but something like that didn't escape Vader. The soldiers had orders to follow. That was what they were made for.

He let his hand slip from the door and faced the soldier fully. "You hesitated, Trooper," he growled, stepping closer to the clone. The man flinched and backed away until his armor hit the wall behind him. The clack echoed through the silent hallway. "Sir, I'm sorry-" the soldier raised his hands, sensing what was coming toward him, "They were children, sir."

Vader raised his hand and the clone lifted off the floor, desperately clawing at his neck. "Now you listen to me, clone," with a twitch of his finger he let the soldier's head bend in his direction, "Child or not. They're traitors. If I see you hesitating on one of my orders again.... I'll kill you myself. Is that clear, soldier?"

With just a wave of his hand, the man would be dead at his feet. The Force literally screamed it at him. _Do it. Do it._ A flick of a wrist, the tightening of a muscle. How quickly a life could be over. Unfortunately, they needed the clones for the expansion of the empire. Even something pathetic like this worm.

He sent the clone crashing to the ground. Still kneeling and desperately gasping for breath, the man managed a nod.

"Stand up and speak as you've been taught," Vader roared, his hands clenched into fists. He would not tolerate such behavior.

The threat seemed to awaken unimagined strength in the soldier, as he got to his feet a bit awkwardly, but still took his position immediately. Back straight, hand at his temple. "Yes, Lord Vader. It will never happen again."

Vader grinned with amusement. "Good. Never forget your place, soldier."

With that, he turned away from the still trembling clone and stepped into his master's office.

He bowed slightly and stood in front of the desk; hands folded behind his back. “You asked for me, my Master?”

Sidious sat with his back to him, legs slightly crossed, watching the remains of the temple in the window. Their troops were still searching the rubble for survivors and valuable items.

Hand on his chin and not turning around, his master began to speak. "I think you heard about Kenobi's escape."

Vader's mouth twisted into a grimace. Of course, he had heard. He had killed the few surviving guards himself for their failure. Once more the Jedi would not escape him, he would finish the job himself.

"Of course," he spoke with little hidden anger, "our intel told us the man had help. A former Jedi. Quinlan Vos."

His master rose quietly from his chair and stepped in front of the desk as well. His golden-yellow eyes sparkled as he put his hand to Vader's cheek. "The time for your revenge will come, my boy," the hand disappeared again, leaving an uncomfortable coldness behind, "I have heard that some of the traitors have entrenched themselves in the tunnel systems beneath the Temple. Mostly younglings and padawans, but apparently also the master healer Che and Master Windu."

"Do you want us to destroy them?" he asked, watching as Sidious slowly paced the room, his shoes clacking on the floor.

"We lack information," his master grumbled, shaking his head, "These tunnels are old, there are no plans of their exact locations. Our only lead is Vos; if we can get him, we can get access to the tunnels. And I'm sure he knows where Kenobi is."

Sidious stopped and looked at him piercingly. "I want you to find him, my apprentice. Bring him to me, but we need him alive. If you can do that, I will reward you."

"Consider it done, Master," Vader bowed, a wicked smile on his face.

Time to hunt a Jedi.

* * *

The headaches got worse. Something was ripping his head apart. CT-7567 pressed his hands against his helmet, trying to block out the pain. His men watched him with blank stares behind their visors. It was driving him crazy. His ears were buzzing, his throat hurting from being choked. _Skywalker, Gener-_ Lord Vader.

A sharp pain shot through his head again and Rex had to brace himself against the wall.

Good soldiers follow ord- _You killed children. Turned against the people you fought endless battles with. Kenobi, Tano, Skywalk-_

CT-7567 felt like he was going to be sick. What was happening to him? The other soldiers in his unit were still staring. Like ghosts. Empty shells. Statues.

Next to him, the door suddenly slammed open and - _Rex's General_ \- Lord Vader rushed out, his black cape billowing behind him. "Move it, men," he barked, "I want you to form groups, search the lower levels. Our target is the ex-Jedi Quinlan Vos. Fire on contact, but do not kill him. We need him alive."

Almost mechanical, the men snapped to attention and scrambled after the man. _Rex_ CT-7567 lagged behind, the droning inside his head becoming worse every second.

_This is all wrong._

As they stormed out of the Senate building, he could barely stay on his feet. Hoping they would not notice his absence, he moved away from the rest of the group and slipped into a side alley. He could see nothing. Resting his hand against a wall, the clone sank to the ground and tore his helmet from his head. The impact sounded as if a cannon had just been fired next to his ears. Too loud. It was too much. Something warm began to run over his lips. A trembling hand reached up and came back bloody. His nose was bleeding. CT-7567 felt sick. Gasping for breath, he threw up in the corner where he knelt. The buzzing in his head got worse and before he knew it his temple made contact with the hard concrete floor, knocking him out like a light.

Rex woke up panting. His head seemed to be stuck to something. As he carefully propped himself up on his arms, the ground beneath his body began to sway again. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to fight the nausea. When he opened them, he noticed that he had apparently been lying in his own blood. Rubbing a hand through his face, he noticed that his nose had bled. Scraping dried clots of blood from his chin, he tried to remember. Had he had too much to drink with his brothers? That would at least explain the severe headache. But actually, he wouldn't wake up bleeding in some alley after that. Something was wrong. He leaned against the wall at his back and let his eyes wander. He was wearing his armor. His helmet lay next to him on the floor.

His circulation still threatening to collapse again, he shakily got to his feet. He blew out a breath and leaned briefly against the wall before trusting his balance again. Awkwardly, he bent down for his helmet and held it in front of his face. Nothing out of the ordinary. White helmet with the blue markings of the 501st.

Rex focused on his surroundings again. It was late afternoon. The Senate building was nearby. Turning his head to the other side, he was met with a picture that would burn itself inside his mind forever.

The Jedi Temple was nothing but a charred pile of rubble. Rex remembered now. Heard the screams of the children again as he and his men shot them down. Under command of General Skywalker - no, Lord Vader. The captain felt sick again and now got rid of the last remnants in his stomach.

The blood of innocents was on his hands. His vision blurred as tears gathered in his eyes. Rex did not understand. How could this happen? What had turned him into such a monster? He had created Vader. Had shot down his own general. Had played into the Chancellor's hands. The man had done something to them, something that turned them into mindless puppets.

The headache grew sharper the longer Rex thought about it.

He had to help the remaining Jedi. The ex-Jedi Quinlan Vos. Rex had to find him before the others did. It was his only chance. Determined, he slid the helmet onto his head and sprinted toward the transport lines to the lower levels.

People dodged him as he sped past. Even though he couldn't see their looks, he knew they were filled with disgust and aversion. One knew what they had done. No one dared to openly contradict the empire; many followed the chancellor. But the few who stood for democracy and for whom the Jedi had been protectors; their eyes now bored into the back of Rex's head.

He was glad for the protection his helmet offered him. It made him anonymous. One of many. Most Jedi saw him and his brothers as individuals. But now he was glad to be just a clone in the crowd. To the people, they were all the same. They had been the fighters of the Republic; now they were the tools of the Empire. To the chancellor, they were replaceable - no more than a pair of hands that knew how to hold and fire a gun. Skywalker - no, Vader, the man was not his general - had tried to kill him. Just like that. Because Rex hadn't functioned as he'd wanted. His throat felt swollen and it hurt to breathe. It wouldn't have taken much more and his windpipe would have simply been crushed.

But he couldn't stop now. If his absence had already been discovered, he was a dead man anyway. But maybe he could still save his brothers. And the Jedi to whom he had once pledged his life.

He had almost reached the lower levels. But how did you find a Jedi who didn't want to be found? Rex didn't know Vos, and the name had never come up in the other units either. Ex-Jedi. Had the man left the Order before the war? Rex snorted as he continued to weave through the streets. Probably, in retrospect, that had been the smartest decision. No war. No obligation as a general.

He came to a skidding halt when he suddenly heard the voices of his brothers down the street. Jesse and Hardcase. "Blast," Rex muttered, wondering what to do. Had he already been reported? It was too dangerous to face them openly. He didn't want this to turn into a fight as long as it remained avoidable. As quietly as possible, he crept closer and tried to heighten his sensor so he could eavesdrop on their conversation.

“…haven’t found a trace yet.”

“Lord Vader is furious. We cannot fail.”

Their voices sounded so unnatural. So empty. They might be all the same, but everyone of them was special in their own way. Every trooper had their own skills and quirks. But what Rex was hearing now was nothing of the sort. Even the clankers of the separatists showed more character.

Why was he himself no longer under this control? Questions upon questions. And no answers.

“.. heard that they’re checking some kind of warehouse right now. Lord Vader apparently had one of his feelings.”

“Should we join them?”

Rex watched as Hardcase shook his head. “No, we’re in better position here in case we have to cut that traitor off.”

The warehouse. He knew that building. A shady place, perfect to hide. Or to lure someone in a trap.

Maybe he should take a look there as well. He ducked past a few boxes and made his way to his new destination. It wasn't far, but Rex still felt permanently watched. Perhaps whatever was afflicting him had also made him paranoid.

The warehouse was now directly in front of him. Rusty and half-ruined, it had not been used for a long time. At least not for legal business. Rex used the scanner on his helmet and checked the area. No one there. Strange.

A dull feeling spread through his insides. "Get a grip, Rex," he muttered to himself and slipped over to the building. The main entrance was blocked, of course, so he tried the sides. There. A small door. He gave it a good tug and it creaked open, chipping off its paint. Rex drew his gun as a precaution and entered the hall.

It was dead silent when Rex entered. An icy chill ran down his spine and he involuntarily tightened his grip on the blaster. Where was everyone? He couldn't be the first. The light on his helmet provided him with only a small cone of light. The rest was still hidden in total darkness. Rex moved forward with small but deliberate steps until his foot bumped against something. He lowered his head to illuminate the ground at his feet.

An arm. An armored arm. Rex already knew where it was going, but looked anyway. There he laid; his chest pierced by a lightsaber.

Coric.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, kneeling down beside his fallen brother. Rex had fought many battles with him by his side. They had been good friends. With a little trembling hand, he removed Coric's helmet. His head was already cold as Rex gently guided him back to the ground. "I'm sorry, brother." Carefully, he closed his friend's eyes and placed the helmet on his chest. "Rest in peace."

Rex squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He wasn't alone here, he sensed that somehow. Carefully, he stood back up and repositioned his weapon. Just as he took a step forward, he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Rex whirled around but it was too late. A green blade sped forward, sliced through the blaster in his hands, and swung right through the visor of his helmet. Instantly blinded, he screamed out and let the steaming remains of the weapon clatter to the ground. With frantic movements, he ripped the helmet from his head and scanned his face. He had been lucky. The sword had burned the skin around his eyes a little, but he could still see. Rex didn't have time to be thankful any longer when he heard the devastating hum of the sword again. Blindly throwing his hands over his head, he tried to stop his onrushing fate. "Quinlan Vos!" he shouted, "Stop, please!"

The buzzing did not stop, but a dark voice broke the silence. "How do you know my name? And who are you?"

Rex still didn't dare move. "I am Rex. Captain of the 501st Battalion."

A beat of silence. "A malfunction. I can't believe it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhere I toyed with the idea of Anakin killing Rex. But on the other hand... I still need him. Ahh, too many ideas!


End file.
